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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. root — the cause
  3. pass — a permit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. root — of a plant
  13. band — a ring
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spring — the season
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. root — of a word
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pass — to spend time

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