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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. key — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. root — the cause
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. scale — in music
  13. band — a ring
  14. root — of a plant
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. root — of a word
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. scale — size or range
  21. band — a music group
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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