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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: roll · coach · pound · root · bat · rock · capital · suit

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. rock — music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rock — a stone
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pound — a weight
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a city
  9. root — of a word
  10. capital — money
  11. suit — to fit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bat — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. roll — a list
  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