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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pop — to visit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pop — music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. press — a publisher
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — a tin
  16. content — the amount
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pop — soda
  22. board — a committee
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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