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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. band — a music group
  3. mark — a grade
  4. object — a thing
  5. pop — to visit
  6. root — the cause
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. object — an aim
  10. pop — soda
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spell — letters
  17. root — of a word
  18. ball — a great time
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pop — music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. band — a ring

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