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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 116 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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cue — for pool
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. track — a path
  6. press — to push
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. court — of law
  9. cue — a signal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. court — of a king
  12. root — of a word
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. track — a song
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. row — a line
  18. press — a publisher
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — of a plant
  22. court — for sport
  23. cue — a hint
  24. press — newspapers

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