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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: racket · last · coach · kid · bulb · root · pass · press

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. last — final
  3. press — a publisher
  4. kid — to tease
  5. press — newspapers
  6. last — to go on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. last — finally
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. root — the cause
  21. press — to push
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — a permit
  24. coach — a trainer

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