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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. net — after costs
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. face — to point toward
  6. band — a ring
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. face — to confront
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. root — the cause
  13. pass — a permit
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — part of the head
  18. net — in sport
  19. band — a music group
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — for catching

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