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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. roll — a list
  3. object — an aim
  4. pop — to visit
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. press — newspapers
  7. object — a thing
  8. pop — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tear — to rip
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. root — of a plant
  14. press — to push
  15. roll — a cake
  16. object — to protest
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. root — of a word
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. root — the cause
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tube — in a tire

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