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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: straw · squash · root · net · pass · drill · staff · band

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. drill — the tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a ring
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. pass — a permit
  11. drill — army training
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. squash — the sport
  15. staff — a stick
  16. squash — to crush
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. root — of a plant
  19. band — a music group
  20. net — for catching
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. net — after costs
  23. drill — a practice
  24. staff — employees

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