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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. track — a path
  5. root — of a word
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. track — a song
  9. pitch — completely
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. present — the time now
  12. key — for a lock
  13. present — a gift
  14. shower — to wash
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. key — in music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. present — there
  22. shower — rain
  23. press — newspapers
  24. key — the most important part

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