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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. land — a country
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. root — of a word
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. root — the cause
  8. bass — low music
  9. object — to protest
  10. wake — a trail
  11. suit — in cards
  12. land — to come down
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. land — ground
  21. bass — the fish
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. root — of a plant
  24. suit — clothes

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