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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. charge — electricity
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — of a word
  6. season — in sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. charge — in control
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. season — of the year
  16. charge — a price
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. band — a music group
  20. root — the cause
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. band — a ring
  23. cue — a hint
  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