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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. root — of a word
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a committee
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. plane — a tool
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. board — to get on
  24. field — for sport

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