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

Word bank: date · ruler · coach · root · band · bass · row · rest

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rest — a break
  3. band — a music group
  4. bass — the fish
  5. root — the cause
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a ring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — a line
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. date — the fruit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. root — of a word
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bass — low music
  24. date — on the calendar

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