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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: root · bass · court · spell · swing · rock · ground · board

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rock — a stone
  8. court — of law
  9. ground — a position
  10. rock — music
  11. ground — the earth
  12. court — of a king
  13. swing — music
  14. board — a committee
  15. spell — a short time
  16. court — for sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. root — of a word
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ground — crushed
  23. board — to get on
  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