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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 120 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: press · ball · rock · cell · fall · root · cue · craft

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rock — music
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. craft — boats
  6. cue — a signal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. press — to push
  9. rock — a stone
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — of a word
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fall — the season
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — for pool
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cue — a hint
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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