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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. root — of a plant
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. press — a publisher
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. season — in sport
  9. press — newspapers
  10. charge — electricity
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. charge — a price
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. root — of a word
  19. mark — a trace
  20. press — to push
  21. mark — a grade
  22. season — of the year
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pop — to visit

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