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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. band — a music group
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — a signal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. band — a ring
  10. root — of a word
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cue — a hint
  19. root — the cause
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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