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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 120 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: march · land · chip · dip · bowl · root · board · racket

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. root — the cause
  3. march — the month
  4. root — of a word
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. land — ground
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chip — to eat
  12. land — to come down
  13. dip — to sink
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. chip — for betting
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — to get on
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — a country
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. racket — for tennis

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