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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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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 · deal · face · coach · jam · racket · object · root

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — a publisher
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. press — to push
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. deal — to handle
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — to confront
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. press — newspapers
  22. root — the cause
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. object — an aim

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