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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.

Words on the sheet
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: ball · swing · fork · root · bass · perch · bound · net

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fork — in a road
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bound — certain
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. net — after costs
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. root — the cause
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. perch — the fish
  19. swing — music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. net — for catching
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. net — in sport

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