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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — to push
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. field — farmland
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. field — for sport
  8. drill — the tool
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — newspapers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. drill — army training
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. press — a publisher
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. field — a subject
  19. root — of a word
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bark — to shout
  24. patient — a sick person

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