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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: coach · jam · face · rock · root · season · chip · bulb

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. root — the cause
  3. rock — music
  4. face — to confront
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chip — for betting
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. root — of a plant
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. root — of a word
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rock — to move gently

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