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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. root — of a plant
  3. net — for catching
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. net — after costs
  7. band — a ring
  8. net — in sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bore — to drill
  12. court — of law
  13. band — a music group
  14. pop — to visit
  15. court — for sport
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. court — of a king
  20. pop — soda
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pop — music

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