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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. press — to push
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. plane — a tool
  12. spell — a short time
  13. tube — the underground
  14. capital — money
  15. pound — a weight
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. root — of a word
  20. tube — a container
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bowl — a dish

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