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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. root — of a word
  3. ball — a dance
  4. kid — child
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ball — a great time
  8. root — the cause
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. board — to get on
  13. band — a ring
  14. drill — the tool
  15. suit — to fit
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. band — a music group
  19. drill — a practice
  20. suit — in cards
  21. board — a committee
  22. kid — to tease
  23. drill — army training
  24. stand — for spectators

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