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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: net · sharp · ball · fall · root · foot · coach · chest

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. root — the cause
  3. chest — of your body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chest — of your body
  7. root — of a word
  8. net — after costs
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fall — to drop
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chest — a box
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — in sport
  18. fall — the season
  19. root — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. net — for catching
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. foot — a measure
  24. sharp — clever

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