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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. net — in sport
  4. club — a group
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. scale — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. firm — steady
  11. net — after costs
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bass — low music
  15. firm — decided
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. firm — a company
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. season — of the year

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