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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: present · bore · ground · board · band · root · plane · mine

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. root — the cause
  4. mine — for digging
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. band — a music group
  7. board — a committee
  8. ground — the earth
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bore — to tire
  11. root — of a plant
  12. present — the time now
  13. bore — to drill
  14. band — a ring
  15. root — of a word
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. plane — a tool

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