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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. present — there
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — hurry
  6. press — a publisher
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — a gift
  12. root — the cause
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. present — the time now
  20. press — to push
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. press — newspapers
  23. root — of a word
  24. staff — employees

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