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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. row — a line
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. root — of a plant
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. dip — to sink
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. bear — the animal

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