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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 124 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — a permit
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rest — a break
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. season — in sport
  24. root — the cause

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