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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — the cause
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. press — to push
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. march — music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. root — of a word
  19. press — newspapers
  20. march — the month
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. march — the month
  24. arm — part of the body

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