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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: suit · root · chest · bass · net · dip · season · scale

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. root — of a word
  3. season — of the year
  4. root — the cause
  5. net — after costs
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. scale — size or range
  9. net — in sport
  10. season — in sport
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. chest — a box
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — for catching
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. root — of a plant

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