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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: row · root · mouse · charge · club · game · fall · bass

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fall — to drop
  4. root — of a word
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. game — wild animals
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — a line
  12. charge — a price
  13. bass — low music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. game — a match
  19. fall — the season
  20. root — the cause
  21. charge — in control
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — electricity

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