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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. root — the cause
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. root — of a plant
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. row — a line
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. root — of a word
  14. bass — the fish
  15. object — a thing
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. row — to paddle
  18. object — to protest
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — to bear
  22. object — an aim
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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