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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.

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: band · scale · ball · craft · swing · coach · stem · root

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. scale — in music
  3. band — a ring
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. swing — music
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. root — of a plant
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ball — a great time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. craft — a skill
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. root — the cause
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. root — of a word
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stem — of a plant

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