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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · sharp · root · ball · field · trunk · charge · bass

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ball — a great time
  3. charge — in control
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ball — a dance
  8. charge — electricity
  9. root — the cause
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. field — a subject
  12. bass — the fish
  13. field — for sport
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. root — of a plant
  16. field — farmland
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. charge — a price
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. sharp — clever

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