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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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468
Word bank
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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pitch — completely
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a word
  8. season — in sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. root — of a plant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wind — moving air
  18. season — of the year
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. press — to push
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. root — the cause

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