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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — the cause
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — of a word
  10. deal — to handle
  11. court — of law
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pass — a permit
  14. swing — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitch — completely
  18. swing — to play on
  19. court — for sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitch — a sports field

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