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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. root — of a plant
  3. band — a music group
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. root — of a word
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. vault — a safe
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — a division
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. band — a ring
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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