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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pop — music
  7. root — the cause
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. pass — to succeed

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