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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: ball · tube · sharp · press · cabinet · foot · root · pass

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. tube — the underground
  5. root — of a word
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. press — a publisher
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — a measure
  16. root — of a plant
  17. sharp — clever
  18. tube — a container
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. press — to push
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. press — newspapers
  24. root — the cause

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