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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: track · ruler · face · bulb · press · pitch · root · cap

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cap — of ice
  3. root — of a plant
  4. face — to confront
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cap — a lid
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a hat
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. root — of a word
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. press — newspapers
  22. track — a path
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — a song

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