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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: fall · coach · racket · swing · root · scale · face · bulb

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. root — the cause
  4. bulb — for light
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. swing — music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. root — of a word
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fall — the season
  13. face — to confront
  14. swing — to play on
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fall — to drop
  17. face — part of the head
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — in music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. root — of a plant
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bulb — of a plant

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