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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 116 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: root · press · ruler · tube · game · ball · spell · cabinet

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. root — the cause
  5. game — a match
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. press — to push
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — letters
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. tube — the underground
  18. press — a publisher
  19. tube — a container
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — magic
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ball — a dance

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