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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. field — for sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cue — a signal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. field — a subject
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. field — farmland
  13. press — newspapers
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a dance
  16. root — the cause
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cue — a hint
  19. press — to push
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cue — for pool

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