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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. band — a music group
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. band — a ring
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. toast — bread
  9. charge — electricity
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. root — of a plant
  12. charge — a price
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. charge — in control
  16. row — a line
  17. season — in sport
  18. row — to paddle
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. season — of the year

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