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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a path
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. march — the month
  5. track — a song
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rash — a series
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. root — of a plant
  11. kid — child
  12. band — a ring
  13. march — music
  14. root — the cause
  15. kid — to tease
  16. root — of a word
  17. track — to keep track
  18. band — a music group
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rash — hasty

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