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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: rock · face · coach · date · branch · roll · net · mouse

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rock — a stone
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. face — to confront
  7. net — in sport
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. rock — music
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. roll — a list
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. face — to point toward
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. face — part of the head
  24. coach — a trainer

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