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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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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: pit · shower · root · calf · scale · bass · pop · dip

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. scale — in music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pop — to visit
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pop — soda
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. root — of a plant
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. shower — rain
  16. pit — a hole
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pop — music
  24. scale — size or range

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