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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
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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: scale · dip · fall · jam · coach · fine · march · root

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. root — of a plant
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. fine — all right
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. march — music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fall — the season
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. scale — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. root — of a word
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. root — the cause
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — high quality
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. march — the month

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