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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 · ruler · net · pop · coach · stand · leaves · spell

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. roll — a cake
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pop — to visit
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pop — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pop — soda
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. net — after costs
  18. spell — letters
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. net — for catching
  22. spell — magic
  23. net — in sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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