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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: row · chest · mug · date · firm · key · root · bass

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chest — of your body
  3. root — the cause
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mug — a cup
  7. row — a line
  8. firm — decided
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bass — low music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chest — of your body
  14. firm — a company
  15. root — of a plant
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bass — the fish
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. key — in music
  20. root — of a word
  21. chest — a box
  22. firm — steady
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. key — the most important part

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