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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: pop · dip · band · saw · spell · bass · root · snap

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pop — music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. band — a music group
  9. pop — to visit
  10. root — the cause
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. saw — the tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. root — of a word
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. dip — to sink
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pop — soda
  23. bass — the fish
  24. dip — a sauce

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