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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: bear · fan · press · root · swing · plane · pit · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bear — the animal
  4. press — to push
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. root — the cause
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. swing — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. root — of a word
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. root — of a plant
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pit — a hole

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