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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. root — the cause
  3. pop — soda
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. fall — the season
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pop — music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. root — of a word
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fall — to drop
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. row — to paddle

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