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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · root · bulb · plane · bat · bass · scale · fall

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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. scale — size or range
  4. root — the cause
  5. rule — government
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. scale — in music
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fall — the season
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rule — a law

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