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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.

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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: bass · pass · wave · scale · prune · root · spring · rush

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. spring — of water
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. spring — a coil
  21. scale — in music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — low music
  24. spring — the season

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