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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. root — of a plant
  4. firm — steady
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — decided
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — a company
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rash — a series
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bass — low music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bass — the fish
  23. root — of a word
  24. spring — a coil

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