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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. root — the cause
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. band — a ring
  6. cap — a lid
  7. root — of a word
  8. cap — of ice
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — a break
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bulb — for light
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. drill — army training
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cap — a hat

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