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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.

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: pass · bass · spring · chest · swing · band · fan · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. bass — low music
  3. spring — a coil
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chest — a box
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pass — a permit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. band — a music group
  17. chest — of your body
  18. root — of a word
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. swing — to play on
  21. spring — of water
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  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