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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 116 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: root · ground · mate · pound · bear · bass · racket · branch

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bass — low music
  3. ground — a position
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — a division
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ground — crushed
  17. root — the cause
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bass — the instrument

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