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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: plane · net · stock · root · bulb · bass · court · coach

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. net — in sport
  3. court — of law
  4. net — after costs
  5. root — of a word
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — of a king
  9. plane — a tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stock — goods
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — for sport
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bulb — for light
  17. root — the cause
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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