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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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Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. press — to push
  5. hand — help
  6. press — a publisher
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wind — moving air
  9. root — of a word
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — electric
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — happening now
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. club — for golf
  20. current — of water
  21. root — the cause
  22. club — a group
  23. root — of a plant
  24. racket — a loud noise

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