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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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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. press — newspapers
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. hand — help
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — the cause
  10. ground — a position
  11. squash — the sport
  12. root — of a word
  13. bound — certain
  14. press — to push
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. squash — to crush

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