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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ball — a dance
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. root — of a word
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. band — a music group
  9. suit — clothes
  10. root — of a plant
  11. date — the fruit
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. suit — to fit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. suit — in cards
  18. toast — bread
  19. ball — a great time
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. band — a ring
  23. root — the cause
  24. ball — a round shape

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