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

Word bank: press · lash · pitch · fine · drill · chair · bear · root

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. root — of a word
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. press — to push
  9. drill — army training
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. press — a publisher
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. chair — a leader

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