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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.

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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: cabinet · clip · pop · perch · row · bass · root · rush

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. root — of a word
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bass — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. row — a line
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — low music
  19. root — the cause
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. rush — a thrill
  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