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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — the cause
  7. field — farmland
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. field — a subject
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pass — a permit
  13. field — for sport
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. bass — the fish
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — a sauce

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