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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. press — a publisher
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. root — the cause
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. root — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. game — a match
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. file — a document
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spell — letters
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. game — wild animals

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