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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: ruler · cold · coach · bear · stand · root · season · pitcher

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. root — the cause
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — in sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cold — not warm
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cold — an illness

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