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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. prune — to trim
  6. band — a ring
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bound — obliged
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pop — soda
  13. stand — to bear
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bound — tied together
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bound — certain
  21. root — the cause
  22. scale — in music
  23. root — of a word
  24. pop — music

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