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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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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: root · coach · temple · pass · rest · band · stock · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rest — what's left
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rest — a break
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — of a word
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stock — shares
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. coach — a trainer
  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