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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: hand · press · racket · sharp · root · coach · stem · bound

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bound — obliged
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — certain
  7. root — of a word
  8. press — to push
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hand — in cards
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. root — the cause
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. root — of a plant
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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