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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. press — newspapers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — a coil
  7. land — ground
  8. squash — the sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. land — to come down
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spring — of water
  13. squash — to crush
  14. swing — music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wake — a trail
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. press — to push
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spring — the season
  23. press — a publisher
  24. land — a country

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