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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 124 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. root — the cause
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ground — a position
  7. prune — to trim
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. prune — to trim
  10. root — of a word
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ground — the earth
  13. board — a committee
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. board — to get on
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ground — crushed
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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