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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chair — a leader
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. wax — to grow
  11. club — for golf
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. club — a group
  15. band — a music group
  16. track — to keep track
  17. band — a ring
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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