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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · ruler · wake · capital · bass · root · pitcher · band

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. root — of a plant
  6. season — of the year
  7. band — a ring
  8. season — in sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a music group
  11. root — of a word
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. capital — a city
  15. root — the cause
  16. bass — the fish
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. capital — money
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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