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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · land · ball · coach · swing · foot · root · bear

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. land — to come down
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. swing — in golf
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — ground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a word
  9. swing — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bear — the animal
  12. swing — to play on
  13. ball — a dance
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. root — the cause
  21. land — a country
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. foot — a measure
  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