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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.

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: ground · rest · current · bulb · mine · bass · arm · root

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. current — happening now
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — the cause
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bass — the fish
  11. current — electric
  12. root — of a word
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. current — of water
  19. mine — for digging
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ground — a position
  23. rest — a break
  24. mine — belonging to me

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