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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. field — a subject
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bound — obliged
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bound — tied together
  9. root — of a word
  10. press — to push
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pop — soda
  13. field — farmland
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bound — certain
  16. fall — to drop
  17. clip — a video
  18. field — for sport
  19. fall — the season
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pound — a weight
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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