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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. root — the cause
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pit — in a race
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rush — hurry
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. root — of a word
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. tube — a container
  22. chip — for betting
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chip — to eat

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