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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
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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: rush · root · cap · march · safe · fan · bass · bark

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. root — the cause
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the fish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bark — to shout
  18. root — of a word
  19. march — the month
  20. bass — low music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — hurry

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