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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pop — music
  3. root — of a word
  4. firm — a company
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. club — for golf
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. capital — money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pop — soda
  17. band — a music group
  18. root — the cause
  19. band — a ring
  20. pit — in a race
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. club — for dancing
  24. firm — steady

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