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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. chest — of your body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cue — a signal
  5. press — to push
  6. cue — for pool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. shower — rain
  9. suit — in cards
  10. root — of a word
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chest — of your body
  13. field — farmland
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. press — newspapers
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. press — a publisher
  19. field — for sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chest — a box
  24. field — a subject

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