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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 116 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: lash · nail · squash · root · field · band · prune · bass

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — the fish
  4. field — farmland
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. root — the cause
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. root — of a word
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. field — a subject
  16. band — a music group
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bass — low music
  19. squash — to crush
  20. band — a ring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. prune — to trim

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