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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: charge · bass · stand · root · pitcher · bark · squash · swing

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bass — the fish
  16. swing — music
  17. squash — to crush
  18. charge — in control
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bass — low music
  21. charge — electricity
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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