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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. press — to push
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — of a word
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. current — happening now
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. root — the cause
  10. pit — a hole
  11. current — electric
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bass — low music
  17. current — of water
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bass — the fish
  24. press — a publisher

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