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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · band · sharp · mug · root · bay · plane · capital

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mug — a cup
  4. root — of a plant
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. band — a music group
  8. root — of a word
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. band — a ring
  14. mug — a face
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. capital — money
  21. root — the cause
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bay — a horse colour

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