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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rock — music
  6. root — of a word
  7. squash — the sport
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pop — soda
  13. root — the cause
  14. spring — of water
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pop — music
  17. branch — a division
  18. press — to push
  19. stand — to bear
  20. root — of a plant
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spring — the season
  24. pop — to visit

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