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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: court · bay · face · track · root · rest · dip · bass

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bass — the fish
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — to point toward
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. face — to confront
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rest — a break
  15. bass — low music
  16. track — a path
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. dip — to sink
  19. root — of a word
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — for sport
  24. track — a song

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