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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: safe · straw · bass · swing · root · pound · rock · band

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pound — a weight
  5. root — of a plant
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bass — the fish
  11. root — of a word
  12. swing — music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — the cause
  16. swing — to play on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. swing — in golf
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. band — a music group
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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