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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 120 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: bass · coach · hand · club · root · mate · key · branch

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. root — the cause
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. club — for golf
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. club — a group
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. key — in music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. branch — a division
  17. key — for a lock
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. root — of a word
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hand — help
  22. bass — low music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. branch — of a tree

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