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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. root — the cause
  2. rule — a law
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. face — part of the head
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a word
  11. wax — to grow
  12. band — a music group
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. face — to confront
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rule — government
  23. racket — for tennis
  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