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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · straw · bass · last · hand · capital · press · bowl

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. hand — in cards
  5. capital — a city
  6. bass — the fish
  7. hand — help
  8. last — finally
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. capital — money
  13. last — to go on
  14. bass — low music
  15. last — final
  16. press — to push
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. press — a publisher
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. press — newspapers
  24. straw — a straw man

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