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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 116 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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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: bass · file · ground · bay · board · race · content · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. board — to get on
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. file — a line of people
  8. race — humankind
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bass — low music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. root — of a word
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. race — a contest
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. root — of a plant
  21. file — a document
  22. ground — a position
  23. file — a tool
  24. board — a committee

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