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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: wax · root · pound · perch · press · game · jam · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. root — the cause
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wax — to grow
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. perch — the fish
  13. game — a match
  14. press — newspapers
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — to push
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. game — wild animals
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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