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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. band — a ring
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. current — of water
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. current — happening now
  15. staff — employees
  16. band — a music group
  17. cell — in biology
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. current — electric
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cap — a lid
  24. staff — a stick

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