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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — a stone
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a music group
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bear — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. band — a ring
  18. root — the cause
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. root — of a plant
  22. row — to paddle
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rock — 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