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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: root · trunk · press · foot · rest · game · drill · ground

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. root — the cause
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rest — what's left
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rest — a break
  11. ground — the earth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — a publisher
  15. root — of a word
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. root — of a plant
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. press — to push
  24. rest — what's left

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