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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ball — a great time
  5. club — a group
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bass — low music
  11. club — for golf
  12. ball — a dance
  13. club — for dancing
  14. root — of a word
  15. saw — the tool
  16. root — the cause
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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