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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: root · cell · date · ball · wound · bass · object · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. root — the cause
  3. wound — an injury
  4. root — of a word
  5. cell — in biology
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cell — a phone
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. object — to protest
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — the fish
  21. object — an aim
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. object — a thing
  24. ball — a round shape

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