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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. press — to push
  7. kick — in football
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — a publisher
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — a division
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. root — the cause
  22. press — newspapers
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pitcher — a jug

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