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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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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: arm · roll · present · plane · press · club · root · kid

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. present — the time now
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. roll — a list
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — a group
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. root — of a word
  13. kid — to tease
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. plane — a tool
  16. kid — child
  17. present — there
  18. club — for dancing
  19. roll — a cake
  20. press — to push
  21. club — for golf
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. root — of a plant
  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