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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 · rest · stick · prune · root · track · hand · bank

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a path
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. track — to keep track
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. root — the cause
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. root — of a word
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. hand — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rest — a break
  21. hand — help
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — of a river
  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