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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 120 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: staff · band · race · root · drill · pop · mouse · bark

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. root — the cause
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. staff — a stick
  7. root — of a plant
  8. staff — employees
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. staff — employees
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. race — humankind
  17. band — a music group
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a ring
  20. race — the arms race
  21. root — of a word
  22. race — a contest
  23. drill — army training
  24. pop — soda

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