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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: roll · shower · deal · wound · root · bass · bulb · content

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. roll — a list
  3. bass — low music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. deal — to handle
  8. roll — a cake
  9. root — of a word
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. root — the cause
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. content — the amount
  19. bass — the fish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — rain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. content — happy

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