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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 · net · date · mine · root · bay · bank · straw

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. net — after costs
  3. date — the fruit
  4. root — the cause
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bank — of a river
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — in sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. net — for catching
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a plant
  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