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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. root — of a word
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. content — happy
  5. bass — low music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wake — a trail
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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