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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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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. root — the cause
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. root — of a plant
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. land — a country
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. root — of a word
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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