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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · root · cue · saw · march · press · pitcher · bulb

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cue — for pool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — of a word
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cue — a hint
  10. march — the month
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — the cause
  14. cue — a signal
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. root — of a plant
  18. press — to push
  19. march — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. press — newspapers

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