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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 116 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a word
  4. pop — music
  5. mine — for digging
  6. band — a ring
  7. root — of a plant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. pop — soda
  12. object — a thing
  13. rock — a stone
  14. firm — steady
  15. rock — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. object — an aim
  20. root — the cause
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. object — to protest

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