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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 · rest · can · pop · charge · cell · wind · bass

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pop — soda
  3. rest — what's left
  4. root — the cause
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — a price
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. root — of a word
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pop — music
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bass — low music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. rest — a break
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bass — the fish
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pop — to visit

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