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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. root — of a word
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. track — a path
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. press — a publisher
  8. charge — in control
  9. prune — to trim
  10. track — to keep track
  11. charge — electricity
  12. clip — to cut
  13. root — the cause
  14. press — newspapers
  15. toast — bread
  16. press — to push
  17. track — a song
  18. clip — a video
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. clip — for paper
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. prune — to trim

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