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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. root — the cause
  3. bass — low music
  4. game — a match
  5. rest — a break
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — of a word
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. root — of a plant
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wave — of the sea

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