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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. present — a gift
  3. root — of a word
  4. present — there
  5. bound — certain
  6. ball — a great time
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. root — the cause
  9. band — a music group
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. row — to paddle
  12. current — happening now
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. current — electric
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. current — of water
  20. bound — tied together
  21. row — a line
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. present — the time now

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