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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · bass · root · fan · nail · game · land · chair

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. bass — low music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — ground
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. root — of a word
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. root — the cause
  17. object — an aim
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chair — a leader

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