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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: root · press · firm · kid · row · foot · drill · cue

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. root — the cause
  3. firm — a company
  4. press — a publisher
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. firm — decided
  7. drill — army training
  8. row — a line
  9. drill — a practice
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. row — to paddle
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. drill — the tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. press — to push
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. firm — steady
  24. cue — a hint

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