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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · cell · press · root · scale · game · wave · hand

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. root — of a word
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. present — a gift
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. press — to push
  10. root — the cause
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. press — a publisher
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cell — a phone
  18. present — there
  19. cell — in biology
  20. hand — in cards
  21. game — a match
  22. present — the time now
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hand — help

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