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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. drill — army training
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. root — of a word
  7. drill — the tool
  8. band — a ring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. clip — to cut
  11. root — the cause
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. band — a music group
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mug — a face

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