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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. root — the cause
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — a signal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wind — moving air
  19. root — of a word
  20. pitch — completely
  21. press — to push
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — a publisher

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