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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. root — of a word
  6. rest — a break
  7. ball — a great time
  8. band — a music group
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hand — help
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — what's left
  17. root — the cause
  18. rule — a law
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rule — government
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. hand — in cards

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