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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · ground · scale · roll · root · bass · net · date

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bass — low music
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. roll — a cake
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. net — after costs
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. root — of a plant
  15. scale — in music
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ground — crushed
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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