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

Word bank: deal · root · staff · coach · pit · court · date · cell

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. court — for sport
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. root — the cause
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pit — a hole
  9. court — of a king
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. deal — to handle
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. staff — employees
  14. cell — a phone
  15. root — of a word
  16. cell — in biology
  17. staff — employees
  18. pit — in a race
  19. date — the fruit
  20. staff — a stick
  21. court — of law
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. root — of a plant

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