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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.

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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: mug · root · present · coach · face · ball · pop · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ball — a dance
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — the cause
  6. ball — a great time
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. mug — to rob
  10. root — of a plant
  11. face — to confront
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. root — of a word
  15. mug — a face
  16. band — a ring
  17. mug — a cup
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. present — there

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