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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 120 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: stem · wave · ball · coach · net · root · staff · bass

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. net — after costs
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bass — the fish
  18. net — for catching
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. staff — employees
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bass — low music

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