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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 116 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: pop · content · cold · bass · track · staff · object · root

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. track — a path
  7. staff — a stick
  8. track — a song
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bass — the fish
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. object — an aim
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bass — low music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. staff — employees
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pop — soda
  21. content — happy
  22. pop — to visit
  23. content — the amount
  24. staff — employees

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