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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.

Make a worksheet

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: press · prune · bore · staff · craft · coach · root · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. root — the cause
  3. staff — employees
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cap — a lid
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. staff — a stick
  11. craft — a skill
  12. staff — employees
  13. press — to push
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — of a word
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cap — of ice
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bore — to tire
  24. craft — boats

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