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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: ground · clip · root · board · stand · fork · scale · safe

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. scale — size or range
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — for paper
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. ground — a position
  12. root — of a word
  13. clip — a video
  14. scale — in music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. board — to get on
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fork — in a road
  22. root — the cause
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. board — a flat piece

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