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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: press · file · root · rule · pitcher · suit · field · snap

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rule — a law
  5. suit — in cards
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. suit — to fit
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. field — for sport
  16. snap — to click
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rule — government
  19. file — a document
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. press — to push

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