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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 · club · court · mark · safe · bass · march · arm

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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 — low music
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. club — for golf
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mark — a trace
  6. court — of law
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. march — music
  12. court — for sport
  13. march — the month
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a grade
  17. court — of a king
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. root — of a plant
  21. club — a group
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. root — of a word
  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