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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: chip · root · bulb · bass · pass · net · court · row

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. net — after costs
  3. row — a line
  4. court — for sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. chip — for betting
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. net — for catching
  13. root — of a word
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of a king
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. root — the cause
  20. court — of law
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. row — to paddle

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