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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: field · spring · fine · pop · bear · root · bass · current

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — music
  4. field — for sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. field — farmland
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. spring — the season
  12. current — electric
  13. field — a subject
  14. bass — low music
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. current — happening now
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. current — of water
  21. bear — the animal
  22. root — the cause
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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