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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. root — the cause
  13. land — to come down
  14. bass — the fish
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. root — of a plant
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bass — low music
  24. jam — in traffic

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