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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: root · bass · coach · rest · rush · mark · ball · fall

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bass — low music
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rest — a break
  23. ball — a great time
  24. root — the cause

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