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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: root · press · fork · degree · snap · march · cue · fine

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. press — to push
  8. root — of a word
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. cue — a signal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. root — the cause
  17. fine — all right
  18. press — a publisher
  19. degree — temperature
  20. march — the month
  21. degree — from a university
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fork — in a road

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