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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: root · rock · bass · pit · field · staff

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rock — a stone
  3. root — of a word
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rock — music
  7. field — for sport
  8. root — the cause
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pit — in a race
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bass — low music
  18. field — a subject

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