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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: root · roll · bass · coach · pitcher · net · prune · current

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — low music
  6. root — the cause
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. net — for catching
  13. bass — the fish
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. roll — a cake
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. root — of a word
  21. roll — a list
  22. net — in sport
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. current — happening now

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