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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.

Words on the sheet
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: board · content · root · swing · net · rule · coach · spell

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. board — to get on
  3. root — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. net — after costs
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a word
  9. rule — a law
  10. net — for catching
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. root — the cause
  19. content — happy
  20. swing — to play on
  21. content — the amount
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. swing — in golf
  24. board — a committee

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