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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. press — a publisher
  3. land — ground
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — newspapers
  6. club — a group
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. land — a country
  9. root — of a word
  10. lean — thin
  11. press — to push
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — for golf
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lean — to bend
  16. root — the cause
  17. hand — help
  18. kick — in football
  19. hand — in cards
  20. land — to come down
  21. club — for dancing
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. hand — 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