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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: bound · bat · chip · shower · press · root · march · firm

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. march — music
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — to push
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. firm — a company
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. march — the month
  11. shower — rain
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. firm — steady
  15. bat — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. press — newspapers
  20. shower — to wash
  21. march — the month
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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