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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. date — the fruit
  5. root — the cause
  6. track — a song
  7. ball — a dance
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. root — of a word
  11. ball — a great time
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. band — a ring
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rule — a law
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a path
  24. rule — government

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