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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. press — to push
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of a king
  10. bark — to shout
  11. court — of law
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. court — for sport
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fork — in a road
  22. tube — a container
  23. racket — for tennis
  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