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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. press — newspapers
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. date — the fruit
  6. lean — thin
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. root — the cause
  10. lean — to bend
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. court — for sport
  13. press — to push
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. band — a ring
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. band — a music group
  21. root — of a word
  22. court — of law
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wake — before a funeral

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