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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: suit · board · drill · band · safe · root · object · foot

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. suit — to fit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. band — a ring
  5. object — an aim
  6. root — of a word
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. object — a thing
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — the cause
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — to get on
  16. band — a music group
  17. foot — a measure
  18. suit — clothes
  19. drill — the tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. board — a committee
  22. object — to protest
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — in cards

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