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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · season · land · key · root · row · racket · leaves

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. key — in music
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — a country
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. key — for a lock
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. land — to come down
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. land — ground
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. racket — a loud noise

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