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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. press — to push
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitch — completely
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — a measure
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. roll — a cake
  14. club — for dancing
  15. root — the cause
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. root — of a plant
  19. press — newspapers
  20. club — a group
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — of a word
  24. press — a publisher

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