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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: press · racket · bear · land · coach · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — to come down
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. land — a country
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal

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