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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: swing · can · foot · racket · root · patient · bass · fork

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. can — a tin
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bass — the fish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. swing — to play on
  12. can — to be able to
  13. root — of a word
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. root — the cause
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — the bottom

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