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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. firm — a company
  5. spell — magic
  6. press — a publisher
  7. firm — steady
  8. press — newspapers
  9. field — farmland
  10. mate — to breed
  11. press — to push
  12. root — of a word
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. spell — letters
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. firm — decided
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mate — a partner
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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