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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: ground · bass · cap · bark · pit · stem · deal · roll

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ground — a position
  11. bark — to shout
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ground — crushed
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bass — low music

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