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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: band · face · mouse · race · pitcher · root · bore · game

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. root — the cause
  6. game — a match
  7. face — part of the head
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — to drill
  11. root — of a plant
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. root — of a word
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. band — a music group
  19. game — wild animals
  20. face — to confront
  21. band — a ring
  22. race — a contest
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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