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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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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: bulb · sharp · season · rock · bass · straw · root · squash

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. squash — to crush
  4. season — of the year
  5. rock — music
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — in sport
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bass — low music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bass — the fish
  17. root — of a word
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rock — to move gently

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