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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: bass · mouse · root · bear · band · bowl · wave · arm

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. root — of a word
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. band — a music group
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bass — the fish

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