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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. track — to keep track
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. press — to push
  7. root — of a word
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mug — a cup
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. press — newspapers
  13. track — a path
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. root — of a plant
  17. press — a publisher
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — a face
  21. track — a song
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. root — the cause
  24. mug — to rob

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