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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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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: cell · wake · fork · band · root · press · bulb · board

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. press — to push
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. board — to get on
  14. band — a ring
  15. root — the cause
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. board — a committee
  20. press — newspapers
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. band — a music group
  23. root — of a word
  24. press — a publisher

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