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

Word bank: root · cabinet · court · date · pound · rule · band · stick

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rule — a law
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. court — of a king
  9. pound — a weight
  10. root — of a word
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. band — a ring
  14. root — the cause
  15. rule — government
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pound — for dogs

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