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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: mate · land · mug · scale · rock · band · fall · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fall — the season
  3. root — of a plant
  4. scale — in music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. land — ground
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. land — to come down
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. band — a ring
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mate — to breed
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rock — music
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fall — to drop
  19. band — a music group
  20. root — of a word
  21. mug — a face
  22. rock — a stone
  23. land — a country
  24. mate — a partner

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