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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cap — a hat
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pitch — completely
  7. shower — rain
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a dance
  18. root — of a word
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ball — a great time
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ball — a round shape

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