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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 116 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 · season · root · fan · cap · pitch · press · lean

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. root — of a word
  5. season — of the year
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lean — to bend
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — thin
  14. press — newspapers
  15. root — the cause
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — to push
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cap — of ice
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cap — a lid

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