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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · coach · root · kid · prune · fan · pitcher · ground

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. root — of a word
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ground — the earth
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ground — a position
  13. kid — child
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — crushed
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rock — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitcher — a jug

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