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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 120 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: bass · stock · board · key · fine · spell · wave · root

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. board — to get on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fine — all right
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spell — letters
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. root — of a word
  10. spell — magic
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — goods
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. board — a committee
  18. key — for a lock
  19. root — the cause
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stock — shares

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