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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 116 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 · coach · spring · stand · suit · bass · bat · wake

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — of a word
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. spring — the season
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. root — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spring — of water
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stand — to bear
  16. root — the cause
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wake — a trail
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wake — before a funeral

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