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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.

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: staff · hide · coach · game · cap · pitcher · jam · root

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cap — a lid
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. game — a match
  9. staff — a stick
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. staff — employees
  19. cap — of ice
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — the cause
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cap — a hat

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