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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.

Make a worksheet

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: coach · cabinet · pitcher · tear · plane · march · root · swing

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. swing — in golf
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. march — the month
  14. root — of a word
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. march — music
  17. root — the cause
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. swing — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. march — the month

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