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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. root — of a plant
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. suit — in cards
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. suit — to fit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rash — a series
  20. chair — a leader
  21. root — of a word
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. root — the cause
  24. rash — on the skin

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