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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: bat · capital · bowl · root · bulb · press · wound · jam

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wound — an injury
  4. root — of a word
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. root — of a plant
  7. capital — a city
  8. root — the cause
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — a publisher
  17. capital — money
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bat — the animal
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bowl — a dish

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