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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: race · stand · fork · mug · root · degree · coach · press

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. root — of a word
  3. degree — an amount
  4. root — of a plant
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mug — a face
  7. race — the arms race
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. race — humankind
  12. root — the cause
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fork — in a road
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stand — to bear
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fork — to eat with

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