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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: rush · net · bass · kid · root · can · deal · jam

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bass — the fish
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. kid — child
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. root — of a word
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. net — after costs
  11. can — to be able to
  12. root — of a plant
  13. net — in sport
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. can — a tin
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. root — the cause

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