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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: press · root · perch · chip · track · last · hand · coach

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. chip — for betting
  3. press — to push
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — in cards
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a song
  8. last — finally
  9. track — a path
  10. perch — the fish
  11. last — to go on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. last — final
  15. root — the cause
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. hand — help
  21. root — of a word
  22. track — to keep track
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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