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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.

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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: rock · game · root · sharp · wake · bass · mouse · fine

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rock — music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. root — of a word
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bass — low music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fine — all right
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. game — a match
  24. root — the cause

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