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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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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: prune · roll · coach · root · squash · foot · court · field

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. squash — to crush
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. roll — a cake
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. court — of law
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. court — for sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. field — farmland
  16. root — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. field — a subject
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. field — for sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — of a king

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