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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pop — soda
  3. club — for dancing
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — the cause
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rest — a break
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pop — music
  16. root — of a word
  17. band — a music group
  18. root — of a plant
  19. club — for golf
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. perch — the fish
  22. band — a ring
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rest — what's left

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