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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
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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: bass · straw · safe · swing · root · perch · coach · tube

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bass — the fish
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. swing — to play on
  13. root — of a word
  14. perch — the fish
  15. swing — music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. root — the cause
  18. swing — in golf
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tube — a container
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bass — low music

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