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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 · rock · bound · prune · vault · file · pop · bass

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bass — the fish
  5. file — a tool
  6. pop — music
  7. bound — certain
  8. rock — a stone
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. root — the cause
  15. pop — to visit
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pop — soda
  20. root — of a plant
  21. file — a document
  22. rock — music
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bound — obliged

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