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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: mate · present · root · court · press · cell · key · rest

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. present — a gift
  4. key — the most important part
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — newspapers
  7. court — of a king
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cell — in biology
  11. court — of law
  12. key — in music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. press — to push
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. press — a publisher
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cell — a phone
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rest — a break
  22. court — for sport
  23. mate — to breed
  24. present — there

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