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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · root · bass · mug · fine · can

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bass — low music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mug — a cup
  15. root — the cause
  16. mug — a face
  17. fine — high quality
  18. can — to be able to

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