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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. press — newspapers
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. press — to push
  12. face — part of the head
  13. root — of a word
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. pitch — completely
  18. press — a publisher
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. scale — in music
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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