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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.

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: press · stand · ball · sharp · temple · perch · jam · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. press — to push
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ball — a great time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. press — newspapers
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stand — to bear
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ball — a dance
  19. perch — the fish
  20. root — of a word
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. sharp — clever
  23. root — the cause
  24. stand — for spectators

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