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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: coach · court · snap · bulb · can · press · charge · root

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. charge — a price
  3. root — of a plant
  4. press — a publisher
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — to push
  8. snap — to click
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. press — newspapers
  11. court — of a king
  12. root — of a word
  13. bulb — for light
  14. court — for sport
  15. root — the cause
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of law
  24. charge — in control

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