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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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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: key · snap · march · stand · foot · root · last · bass

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — the cause
  6. key — in music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — to bear
  12. key — the most important part
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. root — of a word
  20. snap — to click
  21. last — final
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. march — the month
  24. march — 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