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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. band — a music group
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. club — for golf
  6. root — of a word
  7. pound — a weight
  8. court — for sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. court — of a king
  16. sharp — clever
  17. band — a ring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — of law
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. club — for dancing
  22. root — of a plant
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. club — a 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