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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: saw · root · perch · wind · cap · game · mark · bass

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. root — the cause
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bass — the fish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. root — of a word
  13. wind — moving air
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — a grade
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cap — a hat
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — low music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cap — a lid

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