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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · racket · cap · row · bass · land · root · dip

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. land — a country
  4. row — a line
  5. cap — of ice
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. land — to come down
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. root — the cause
  12. cap — a hat
  13. land — ground
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. row — to paddle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bass — low music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. root — of a word
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bass — the fish

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