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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. root — of a word
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pass — a permit
  6. swing — in golf
  7. band — a music group
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. club — a group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a ring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. root — of a plant
  20. swing — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. club — for dancing
  23. root — the cause
  24. club — for golf

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