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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: mine · cell · bulb · root · craft · deal · board · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bulb — for light
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cell — a phone
  10. deal — to handle
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cell — in biology
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — for digging
  19. board — to get on
  20. root — the cause
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. board — a committee
  24. bulb — 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