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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. root — the cause
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bass — low music
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. game — wild animals
  8. court — for sport
  9. fine — high quality
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. band — a ring
  14. fine — all right
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bass — the fish
  17. kid — to tease
  18. band — a music group
  19. court — of law
  20. root — of a word
  21. kid — child
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. court — of a king
  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