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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lie · club · shower · field · capital · rash

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. field — for sport
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. root — the cause
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — a series
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rash — hasty
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. capital — a city
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. root — of a plant
  19. shower — to wash
  20. board — a committee
  21. shower — rain
  22. board — to get on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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