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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.

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: bass · spell · bowl · root · chair · pop · game · fan

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pop — music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spell — a short time
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pop — soda
  10. bass — low music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. root — of a word
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — the cause
  20. spell — letters
  21. game — a match
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bass — the instrument
  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