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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 116 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 ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pop — music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wake — a trail
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. club — for dancing
  18. press — to push
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. root — of a word
  21. pop — to visit
  22. root — the cause
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pop — soda

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