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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: coach · plane · pit · root · rule · land · sharp · bay

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. root — of a plant
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. root — the cause
  11. rule — government
  12. land — a country
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. land — to come down
  18. rule — a law
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. land — ground
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pit — in a race
  23. root — of a word
  24. plane — an aircraft

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