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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: chest · cap · racket · present · coach · drill · root · ruler

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. drill — army training
  6. present — there
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cap — of ice
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — the cause
  11. present — a gift
  12. chest — a box
  13. cap — a hat
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. present — the time now
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cap — a lid
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. drill — a practice
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a word
  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