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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · bass · ground · wave · saw · root · key · chest

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. saw — the tool
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bass — low music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. root — the cause
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chest — a box
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ground — a position
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ground — the earth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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