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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
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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: kick · ball · root · rush · season · chair · stock · press

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. root — the cause
  3. season — in sport
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ball — a great time
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. root — of a word
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. root — of a plant
  19. press — to push
  20. kick — in football
  21. stock — shares
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stock — goods

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