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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. game — wild animals
  3. net — for catching
  4. fall — the season
  5. board — a committee
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. root — of a plant
  8. game — a match
  9. board — to get on
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chair — a leader
  13. net — in sport
  14. press — newspapers
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fall — to drop
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. net — after costs
  22. root — the cause
  23. bear — the animal
  24. press — to push

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