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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: ruler · press · wax · bowl · ball · current · kid · root

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. root — of a plant
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. press — to push
  8. root — the cause
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wax — to grow
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. current — happening now
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. press — newspapers
  23. kid — child
  24. ruler — for measuring

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