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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: toast · jam · bowl · drill · root · date · staff · coach

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — army training
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. toast — bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. root — the cause
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. drill — the tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. drill — a practice
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — employees

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