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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 120 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: net · scale · bay · coach · season · trunk · bear · root

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — of the year
  8. root — of a word
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. net — for catching
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. net — after costs
  15. season — in sport
  16. root — the cause
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. net — in sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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