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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: date · staff · cell · fine · jam · press · root · racket

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fine — high quality
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. root — the cause
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fine — all right
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. press — a publisher
  9. root — of a plant
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. date — the fruit
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. press — to push
  16. cell — a phone
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. press — newspapers
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. root — of a word

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