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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. press — newspapers
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. press — to push
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mine — for digging
  15. snap — to click
  16. root — of a word
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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