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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. club — for golf
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wake — a trail
  6. foot — a measure
  7. spring — the season
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. root — of a word
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spring — a coil
  14. club — a group
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. root — of a plant
  20. present — a gift
  21. bore — to drill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. club — for dancing
  24. spring — of water

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