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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. net — in sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. net — for catching
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rock — music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. root — of a word
  23. net — after costs
  24. root — the cause

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