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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. root — of a word
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. band — a music group
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitch — completely
  18. band — a ring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — the cause

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