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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 · row · vault · band · wound · bore · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. row — to paddle
  4. root — of a word
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. root — the cause
  7. vault — a safe
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wound — an injury
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. foot — a measure
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. band — a ring
  19. bore — to drill
  20. row — a line
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. band — a music group

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