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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. field — farmland
  3. press — a publisher
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pop — soda
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pop — music
  12. rule — government
  13. field — for sport
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rule — a law
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — the most important part
  18. field — a subject
  19. root — of a word
  20. key — in music
  21. chest — a box
  22. press — to push
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pop — to visit

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