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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. press — to push
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. spring — the season
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. can — a tin
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spring — a coil
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — in golf
  18. press — newspapers
  19. spring — of water
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. root — of a plant
  22. swing — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bark — to shout

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