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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: can · bass · wake · leaves · race · sharp · root · kid

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. race — a contest
  4. root — of a plant
  5. can — to be able to
  6. kid — child
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. root — of a word
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — low music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. root — the cause
  16. wake — a trail
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kid — to tease
  24. leaves — of a tree

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