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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bulb · coach · chair · plane · spell · cold · root

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spell — a short time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. root — the cause
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cold — an illness
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cold — not warm
  10. plane — a tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bulb — for light
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — of a word
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. spell — letters
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. spell — magic
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chair — a professorship

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