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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: chest · bass · racket · nail · root · track · wake · pound

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — of your body
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. track — a song
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wake — a trail
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bass — the fish
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. chest — of your body
  20. track — a path
  21. bass — low music
  22. pound — a weight
  23. track — to keep track
  24. nail — for a hammer

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