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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: spring · lean · fine · pitch · coach · rule · root · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rule — a law
  3. spring — a coil
  4. root — the cause
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spring — of water
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spring — the season
  22. root — of a word
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rule — government

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