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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.

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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: bass · bowl · rush · wound · game · pass · root · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bass — low music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. root — of a word
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. game — wild animals
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — a match
  19. root — the cause
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ground — a position
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bowl — to roll

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