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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. court — of a king
  5. pop — music
  6. fine — all right
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rock — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. root — the cause
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. band — a music group
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pop — soda
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. root — of a word
  22. band — a ring
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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