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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. content — the amount
  5. press — to push
  6. ground — the earth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — the sport
  11. press — newspapers
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ground — a position
  14. craft — a skill
  15. content — happy
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. press — a publisher
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — the cause
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. craft — boats
  24. root — of a plant

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