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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 120 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: squash · drill · content · bark · bass · fall · root · season

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. root — of a plant
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. squash — to crush
  8. season — in sport
  9. bass — the fish
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bass — low music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fall — the season
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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