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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 116 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: perch · degree · band · board · vault · row · root · coach

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. root — of a word
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. board — a committee
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. degree — an amount
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. perch — the fish
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — a line
  20. degree — from a university
  21. row — to paddle
  22. band — a ring
  23. degree — temperature
  24. perch — for a bird

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