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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.

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: rock · sharp · press · pit · present · root · last · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. rock — music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. press — a publisher
  5. present — the time now
  6. root — the cause
  7. last — final
  8. rock — a stone
  9. last — finally
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — there
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. press — to push
  17. present — a gift
  18. press — newspapers
  19. root — of a word
  20. pit — a hole
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  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