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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. firm — a company
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — decided
  7. band — a ring
  8. track — a path
  9. bulb — for light
  10. root — the cause
  11. season — of the year
  12. band — a music group
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. firm — steady
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — a song
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. track — to keep track
  22. root — of a word
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. root — of a plant

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