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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
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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: date · stock · root · band · saw · game · fall · ruler

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. root — the cause
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — a match
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — goods
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. saw — the tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stock — shares
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. band — a music group

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