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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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468
Word bank
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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitch — completely
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. field — farmland
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. file — a tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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