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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: wave · root · chair · leaves · season · bass · stock · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bass — the fish
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stock — goods
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hand — help
  11. stock — shares
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chair — a leader
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. root — of a word
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bass — low music
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — a soup base

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