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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — a stone
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. object — a thing
  15. rock — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — of a word
  18. staff — a stick
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — an aim
  21. chip — for betting
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chip — in a computer

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