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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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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: fine · bass · saw · rash · game · bulb · trunk · root

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — of a word
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fine — all right
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rash — a series
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. root — the cause
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fine — high quality
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bass — low music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bulb — 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