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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. press — to push
  5. foot — a measure
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. root — of a word
  8. ground — crushed
  9. scale — in music
  10. ground — a position
  11. press — newspapers
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. root — of a plant
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. root — the cause
  21. scale — size or range
  22. press — a publisher
  23. ground — the earth
  24. foot — part of the body

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