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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: nail · bound · pop · bass · root · swing · hide · season

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — music
  3. root — the cause
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. swing — to play on
  10. root — of a word
  11. pop — to visit
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bound — certain
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bass — the fish
  16. season — of the year
  17. pop — soda
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — low music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pop — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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