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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. root — the cause
  4. land — to come down
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. firm — steady
  7. pop — soda
  8. fall — to drop
  9. root — of a word
  10. band — a music group
  11. fall — the season
  12. firm — a company
  13. land — ground
  14. firm — decided
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pop — to visit
  20. band — a ring
  21. game — a match
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — a country

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