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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cue — a signal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cue — a hint
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cue — for pool
  7. deal — to handle
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. band — a ring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. scale — in music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. cold — an illness
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. band — a music group

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