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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: leaves · pop · pit · coach · staff · root · clip · swing

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. swing — in golf
  3. staff — employees
  4. root — of a word
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pop — soda
  8. root — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pop — music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pit — in a race
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. clip — a video
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. clip — for paper
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — the cause
  22. pit — a hole
  23. coach — a trainer
  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