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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: rock · root · bear · nail · ball · bass · bound · stem

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. root — of a word
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rock — music
  9. bass — low music
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — the cause
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rock — a stone
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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