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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
468
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: cabinet · press · charge · root · spring · capital · file · pound

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pound — a weight
  9. press — to push
  10. file — a tool
  11. capital — a city
  12. press — a publisher
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. charge — a price
  15. file — a document
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spring — the season
  20. capital — money
  21. charge — in control
  22. root — of a word
  23. charge — electricity
  24. root — of a plant

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