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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 120 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
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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: root · key · coach · press · stand · fork · mine · game

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stand — to bear
  3. game — wild animals
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. press — a publisher
  10. root — of a word
  11. press — to push
  12. game — a match
  13. root — the cause
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mine — for digging
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — in music

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