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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: bulb · racket · hand · root · snap · bass · present · press

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hand — in cards
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a word
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — a publisher
  8. snap — to click
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. present — there
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. present — a gift
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bulb — for light
  24. press — newspapers

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