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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: root · bass · firm · mark · rash · squash · cabinet · ground

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bass — low music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ground — crushed
  13. root — of a plant
  14. firm — steady
  15. squash — the sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ground — a position
  19. root — the cause
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. rash — a series
  24. cabinet — ministers

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