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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 116 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: pop · squash · press · root · coach · vault · band · stick

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. press — newspapers
  3. root — the cause
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. band — a music group
  7. press — a publisher
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. root — of a plant
  11. band — a ring
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. squash — to crush
  16. press — to push
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — of a word
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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