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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 · row · pit · club · rash · bass · tube · hide

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. root — the cause
  4. club — for golf
  5. tube — a container
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — a series
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bass — low music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bass — the fish
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pit — in a race
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. root — of a word
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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