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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: tube · fan · stem · root · bass · hand · swing · ball

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. ball — a dance
  3. tube — a container
  4. root — of a plant
  5. swing — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tube — the underground
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — the cause
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hand — help
  17. root — of a word
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — low music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stem — to come from
  24. swing — in golf

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