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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. court — of law
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. branch — a division
  9. root — of a word
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — the cause
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. court — for sport
  23. mine — for digging
  24. court — of a king

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