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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: drill · arm · bass · root · bulb · row · cell · rock

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. drill — a practice
  5. row — a line
  6. cell — a phone
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rock — music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. root — the cause
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bass — the fish
  21. drill — army training
  22. root — of a word
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the instrument

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