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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.

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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: stick · root · pound · bear · coach · face · racket · drill

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. root — of a word
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — army training
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — the cause
  24. racket — a loud noise

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