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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 120 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 · root · prune · capital · straw · stand · file · fan

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — the cause
  4. file — a document
  5. root — of a word
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. capital — a city
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. capital — money
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stand — to bear
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. file — a tool

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