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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · board · fan · row · bank · degree · staff · rest

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. root — the cause
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. root — of a word
  9. degree — from a university
  10. row — a line
  11. board — a committee
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. degree — an amount
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bank — of a river
  18. staff — employees
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. staff — employees
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com