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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mug — to rob
  4. squash — to crush
  5. root — the cause
  6. swing — to play on
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spell — letters
  9. mug — a cup
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spell — a short time
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mug — a face
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spell — magic
  18. cap — a lid
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music 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