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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. root — of a word
  5. swing — music
  6. foot — a measure
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rash — hasty
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mug — to rob
  11. suit — clothes
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. drill — the tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mug — a face
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. suit — in cards
  22. swing — to play on
  23. drill — army training
  24. foot — part of the body

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