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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bark — to shout
  3. game — a match
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rest — a break
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rest — what's left
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chip — for betting
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. root — the cause
  22. press — to push
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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