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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: march · root · content · current · ground · spring · bass · foot

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. current — happening now
  3. spring — of water
  4. current — of water
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. ground — a position
  8. root — the cause
  9. march — the month
  10. root — of a word
  11. march — the month
  12. spring — a coil
  13. current — electric
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bass — low music
  16. ground — the earth
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. spring — the season
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. march — music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. root — of a plant

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