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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. root — of a word
  3. club — a group
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bass — the fish
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. club — for dancing
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. court — of law
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. root — of a plant
  20. club — for golf
  21. root — the cause
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — to lash out

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