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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. root — of a word
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. court — of law
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. root — the cause
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. board — a committee
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. charge — electricity
  20. board — to get on
  21. lean — thin
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mine — for digging

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