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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. root — of a plant
  3. capital — a city
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. game — a match
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. press — a publisher
  9. track — a path
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. root — of a word
  15. track — a song
  16. root — the cause
  17. press — to push
  18. capital — money
  19. game — wild animals
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rock — music
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. patient — a sick person

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