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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: wake · land · chest · root · rock · racket · bank · bass

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. chest — of your body
  5. land — a country
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bank — of a river
  8. chest — a box
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — ground
  11. wake — a trail
  12. root — the cause
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bass — low music
  18. rock — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. land — to come down
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bank — for money

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