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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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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: stick · staff · bowl · foot · stand · bass · lash · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bass — low music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. root — of a word
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — the fish
  21. staff — employees
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. staff — a stick

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