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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: racket · rash · cabinet · face · branch · pop · root · coach

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. root — of a word
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pop — soda
  6. branch — a division
  7. face — to confront
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pop — music
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rash — a series
  20. face — part of the head
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to point toward
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rash — on the skin

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