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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — to push
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. root — of a plant
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mark — a trace
  11. root — the cause
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. press — a publisher
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — happy
  20. root — of a word
  21. mark — a grade
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. coach — a trainer

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