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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. season — in sport
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. march — music
  6. root — of a word
  7. season — of the year
  8. march — the month
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. net — for catching
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — after costs
  15. press — a publisher
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — decided
  18. net — in sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. root — the cause
  23. deal — an agreement
  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