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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: march · wake · root · bass · mine · suit · bulb · scale

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. root — of a word
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mine — for digging
  21. root — the cause
  22. march — music
  23. scale — in music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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