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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. press — a publisher
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — to push
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — a subject
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. press — newspapers
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cell — a phone
  23. firm — a company
  24. root — the cause

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