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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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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. dip — to sink
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — after costs
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pass — a permit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. root — of a plant

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