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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. face — part of the head
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pop — to visit
  5. march — the month
  6. face — to confront
  7. root — the cause
  8. ball — a great time
  9. face — to point toward
  10. current — happening now
  11. net — for catching
  12. pop — soda
  13. current — of water
  14. net — after costs
  15. press — newspapers
  16. net — in sport
  17. current — electric
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pop — music
  20. root — of a word
  21. ball — a dance
  22. press — to push
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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