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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: fork · mate · leaves · bass · fall · root · mark · season

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — of a word
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mate — to breed
  10. season — of the year
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. root — of a plant
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. season — in sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. root — the cause
  24. bass — low music

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