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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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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. band — a music group
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tear — to rip
  18. field — farmland
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. field — a subject
  21. tear — from crying
  22. field — for sport
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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