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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pop — music
  3. root — the cause
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. game — wild animals
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. snap — to click
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. degree — an amount
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. game — a match
  22. band — a ring
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bay — a horse colour

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