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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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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: root · sharp · press · hand · pitch · bulb · coach · foot

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. press — to push
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — a measure
  5. root — of a word
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pitch — completely
  9. hand — help
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — the cause
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. sharp — clever
  14. root — of a plant
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hand — in cards
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. press — newspapers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bulb — for light

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