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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: net · root · arm · bank · bear · current · game · coach

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. net — after costs
  4. current — happening now
  5. net — in sport
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. game — a match
  8. current — of water
  9. bank — for money
  10. root — the cause
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — for catching
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bank — of a river
  19. current — electric
  20. game — wild animals
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. root — of a word

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