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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rule — a law
  7. press — a publisher
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. root — of a word
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — for sport
  16. root — the cause
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. land — a country
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rule — government
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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