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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: squash · row · net · trunk · rush · drill · root · bass

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. squash — the sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. root — the cause
  6. row — a line
  7. bass — the fish
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — after costs
  11. row — to paddle
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. net — for catching
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. root — of a word
  17. net — in sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — low music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. drill — army training

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