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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: hand · coach · bowl · prune · ball · foot · object · root

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ball — a dance
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hand — help
  9. prune — to trim
  10. object — a thing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. root — of a word
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. object — an aim
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. hand — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. object — to protest
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. foot — a measure

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