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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. press — to push
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ball — a dance
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a great time
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stock — goods
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stock — shares
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — for tennis

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