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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — a container
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mug — to rob
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. press — to push
  16. mug — a face
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. field — for sport
  21. root — of a plant
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tube — the underground

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