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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.

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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: band · season · bat · root · suit · fine · ball · face

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fine — all right
  4. root — the cause
  5. band — a music group
  6. face — part of the head
  7. suit — clothes
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. band — a ring
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bat — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. fine — high quality
  15. root — of a word
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. season — in sport
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. face — to confront
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. face — to point toward

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