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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 120 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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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: bank · bowl · root · suit · shower · hand · net · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bass — the fish
  4. suit — clothes
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — in cards
  9. net — for catching
  10. shower — to wash
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. net — in sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hand — help
  18. shower — rain
  19. bank — for money
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. net — after costs
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bowl — a football final

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