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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: bound · net · bass · root · rash · fall · shower · track

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. root — of a word
  4. track — a song
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. root — of a plant
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. shower — rain
  13. net — for catching
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. track — a path
  17. root — the cause
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bass — low music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — tied together
  22. net — after costs
  23. rash — hasty
  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