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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. root — of a word
  3. press — to push
  4. swing — music
  5. current — happening now
  6. press — a publisher
  7. root — of a plant
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. content — the amount
  11. mug — a cup
  12. net — in sport
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mug — to rob
  15. swing — to play on
  16. press — newspapers
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. spring — the season
  20. mug — a face
  21. spring — of water
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. root — the cause

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