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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 116 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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — the fish
  3. season — in sport
  4. root — of a word
  5. stock — shares
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. root — of a plant
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. row — a line
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. root — the cause
  22. stock — goods
  23. bass — low music
  24. pass — a permit

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