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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: root · scale · rush · net · coach · drill · band · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. drill — army training
  8. band — a music group
  9. root — of a plant
  10. scale — in music
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — after costs
  16. root — the cause
  17. rush — hurry
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. scale — size or range
  20. drill — a practice
  21. band — a ring
  22. root — of a word
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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