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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · press · craft · rule · root · foot

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. squash — to crush
  8. craft — a skill
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. root — the cause
  12. craft — boats
  13. foot — a measure
  14. press — to push
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. press — a publisher
  18. craft — a handicraft

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