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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: pound · ground · cabinet · lean · press · root · nail · fan

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. ground — the earth
  9. root — of a plant
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lean — thin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ground — a position
  16. press — to push
  17. root — the cause
  18. ground — crushed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pound — a weight
  24. press — newspapers

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