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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: can · root · file · bay · bass · chair · prune · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. file — a tool
  5. root — of a word
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bass — low music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. file — a document
  16. can — a tin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — a position
  23. root — the cause
  24. prune — the fruit

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