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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · track · bulb · root · wake · cap · dip · bass

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. root — the cause
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cap — of ice
  13. track — a path
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — low music
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cell — a phone
  22. track — a song
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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