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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. season — of the year
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. press — a publisher
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. track — a song
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rash — a series
  11. pound — a weight
  12. press — to push
  13. suit — clothes
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — in sport
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. press — newspapers

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