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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. board — a committee
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fork — in a road
  10. board — to get on
  11. capital — a city
  12. sharp — clever
  13. press — to push
  14. root — the cause
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. root — of a plant
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. press — newspapers
  19. scale — size or range
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. press — a publisher

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