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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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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: charge · root · cue · swing · press · degree · hand · foot

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cue — for pool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. press — newspapers
  5. swing — music
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. root — the cause
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. press — a publisher
  12. hand — help
  13. swing — in golf
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hand — in cards
  16. root — of a word
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. root — of a plant
  21. foot — a measure
  22. charge — in control
  23. press — to push
  24. degree — temperature

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