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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · scale · root · last · game · suit

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a music group
  4. last — to go on
  5. suit — to fit
  6. last — finally
  7. band — a ring
  8. game — a match
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. last — final
  11. root — of a word
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. suit — clothes
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. root — of a plant

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