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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. root — of a plant
  4. roll — a list
  5. mate — to breed
  6. row — a line
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. press — a publisher
  9. root — the cause
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. root — of a word
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. row — to paddle
  19. press — newspapers
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. press — to push
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. roll — a cake

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