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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: root · bass · court · lash · net · key · ruler · coach

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a word
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. key — for a lock
  10. court — for sport
  11. key — in music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — the most important part
  14. court — of law
  15. bass — low music
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bass — the fish
  20. court — of a king
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. root — the cause
  24. net — for catching

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