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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: trunk · racket · root · object · stand · chair · fall · coach

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — the cause
  5. fall — the season
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. object — a thing
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — to bear
  19. object — to protest
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. object — an aim
  24. stand — on your feet

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