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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.

Make a worksheet

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: march · press · row · wind · mouse · current · squash · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. current — happening now
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. root — the cause
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. current — electric
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. current — of water
  10. squash — the sport
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. march — the month
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wind — moving air
  18. root — of a word
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — a publisher

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