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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.

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: drill · root · bound · squash · bass · chip · kick · stem

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kick — in football
  6. drill — army training
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bound — obliged
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bound — certain
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bass — the fish

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