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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.

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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: bowl · race · bass · root · firm · cabinet · bark · temple

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. race — humankind
  3. bark — to shout
  4. root — of a word
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. race — a contest
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. firm — steady
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — a company
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. firm — decided
  24. bowl — a football final

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