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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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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: pit · wind · bass · root · row · can · bank · wave

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. can — a tin
  4. root — of a word
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — the cause
  10. bass — low music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bank — for money
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — of a plant
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. bass — the fish
  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