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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. root — the cause
  3. pop — to visit
  4. key — for a lock
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. key — the most important part
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. root — of a word
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pop — music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pop — soda
  20. key — in music
  21. band — a music group
  22. bass — the fish
  23. land — a country
  24. bass — low music

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