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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: coach · bear · scale · root · tube · racket · temple · wind

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — of a word
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. scale — in music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. root — the cause
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — the underground
  16. scale — size or range
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — a container
  24. bear — the animal

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