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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. suit — to fit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cold — not warm
  8. press — newspapers
  9. root — of a word
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — a division
  13. press — to push
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. root — of a plant
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. suit — in cards
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. press — a publisher
  23. root — the cause
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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