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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — the earth
  7. band — a ring
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — low music

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