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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: bass · pop · root · wave · rush · straw · ground · coach

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ground — the earth
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bass — low music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pop — soda
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. root — of a word
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wave — with your hand

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