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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. hand — help
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pop — to visit
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pitch — completely
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. field — farmland
  18. sharp — clever
  19. root — of a word
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. press — to push
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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