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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: club · coach · trunk · squash · root · date · foot · arm

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. club — for dancing
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. date — the fruit
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — for golf
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. club — a group
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a word
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. foot — a measure
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. squash — to crush
  23. root — the cause
  24. foot — part of the body

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