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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 120 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: pass · hand · root · coach · pop · degree · band · dip

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hand — help
  5. band — a ring
  6. root — the cause
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pop — soda
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. dip — to sink
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. band — a music group
  17. pass — a permit
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pop — to visit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pop — music
  24. degree — an amount

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