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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: firm · root · kid · mouse · cabinet · band · cap · hand

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. band — a ring
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. band — a music group
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kid — child
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. firm — a company
  15. hand — help
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. root — of a word
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cap — of ice

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