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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — the cause
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a word
  6. can — to be able to
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. press — to push
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lie — to recline
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — goods
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — shares
  23. press — newspapers
  24. root — of a plant

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