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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a signal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. root — of a word
  8. stand — to bear
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — to push
  16. root — the cause
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. game — a match
  24. bulb — for light

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