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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 120 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: press · last · field · chip · key · root · stem · capital

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. capital — money
  4. field — farmland
  5. press — newspapers
  6. capital — a city
  7. last — final
  8. stem — to come from
  9. key — in music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. field — a subject
  15. key — the most important part
  16. root — of a word
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chip — for betting
  20. field — for sport
  21. last — finally
  22. press — to push
  23. root — the cause
  24. last — to go on

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