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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pass — a permit
  3. root — the cause
  4. press — to push
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mark — a grade
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. track — a song
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. root — of a word
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a trace
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. track — to keep track
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. foot — a measure

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