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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 124 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. root — of a word
  3. stand — to bear
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mate — a partner
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — to visit
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pop — music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. band — a music group
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. root — the cause
  20. band — a ring
  21. pop — soda
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mate — to breed

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