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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 120 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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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: rest · trunk · root · bore · pitch · cue · face · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. face — to confront
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rest — a break
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. face — to point toward
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — part of the head
  16. root — of a plant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cue — a hint
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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