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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: mouse · bass · row · net · firm · band · coach · root

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — in sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bass — low music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. root — the cause
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. net — after costs
  19. bass — the fish
  20. row — a line
  21. band — a music group
  22. net — for catching
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — 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