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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: cap · cold · root · mug · rule · shower · perch · coach

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. mug — a face
  2. root — the cause
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rule — a law
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cap — a hat
  9. root — of a word
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rule — government
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cold — an illness
  18. shower — rain
  19. cap — of ice
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cold — not warm
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mug — to rob
  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