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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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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: court · firm · pass · band · fan · can · mate · root

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — the cause
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a music group
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. court — of a king
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — a partner
  12. court — of law
  13. band — a ring
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. court — for sport
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. firm — steady
  24. root — of a word

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