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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 · fine · nail · bass · season · pitcher · object · hide

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bass — low music
  11. object — to protest
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — of a word
  14. fine — all right
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — of the year
  17. root — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fine — high quality
  20. object — an aim
  21. root — the cause
  22. bass — the fish
  23. season — in sport
  24. object — a thing

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