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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · ball · craft · wax · coach · swing · bark · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. ball — a great time
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wax — to grow
  6. craft — boats
  7. swing — music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — in golf
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ball — a dance
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. staff — employees
  23. craft — a skill
  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