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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ground — crushed
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ball — a dance
  6. root — the cause
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fork — in a road
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ground — a position
  21. press — to push
  22. ground — the earth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bat — the animal

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