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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: staff · wound · mouse · roll · jam · bass · land · root

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. land — to come down
  4. staff — a stick
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. staff — employees
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bass — the fish
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. root — of a word
  14. roll — a list
  15. land — a country
  16. bass — low music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. land — ground
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. root — the cause
  23. wound — an injury
  24. roll — a cake

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