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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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468
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: kick · plane · press · season · staff · root · racket · cell

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. staff — employees
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cell — a phone
  5. season — of the year
  6. press — to push
  7. cell — in biology
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. root — of a plant
  12. kick — in football
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. root — of a word
  18. season — in sport
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. plane — a tool
  24. root — the cause

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