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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.

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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: present · root · bay · racket · staff · coach · straw · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. root — of a word
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. current — happening now
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. staff — employees
  11. current — electric
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. present — there
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. present — the time now
  16. root — the cause
  17. present — a gift
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. staff — employees
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. root — of a plant

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