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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 · wake · ground · key · squash · bass · rock · spring

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — the season
  4. rock — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spring — of water
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. root — of a word
  13. ground — crushed
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ground — a position
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — in music
  21. ground — the earth
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wake — before a funeral

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