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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — a trace
  4. root — of a word
  5. cap — a hat
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. band — a ring
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — to bear
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cap — a lid
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cap — of ice
  23. band — a music group
  24. mark — to pay attention

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