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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. root — the cause
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. club — for golf
  7. suit — in cards
  8. band — a ring
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. club — a group
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. root — of a word
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. club — for dancing
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rule — a law
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rule — government
  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