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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. can — a tin
  3. staff — employees
  4. clip — to cut
  5. root — the cause
  6. staff — employees
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — in music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. press — a publisher
  16. key — for a lock
  17. press — newspapers
  18. can — to be able to
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. press — to push
  22. ball — a great time
  23. clip — a video
  24. root — of a plant

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