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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. root — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — the cause
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. bass — low music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. root — of a word
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. hand — help
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. hand — in cards
  24. nail — for a hammer

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