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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: pitcher · bat · rock · root · chest · press · bulb · tube

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. press — to push
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — of a word
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. chest — a box
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bulb — for light

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