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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: ball · bay · root · band · ground · coach · snap · calf

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. root — of a word
  3. ball — a dance
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. band — a music group
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. root — the cause
  16. ball — a great time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ground — a position
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. band — a ring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. band — a rubber band

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