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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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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: bowl · kick · staff · cap · file · coach · root · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. staff — employees
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. root — the cause
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. file — a document
  8. cap — a hat
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. drill — the tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. staff — employees
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. file — a tool
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. root — of a word
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. kick — in football
  24. cap — of ice

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