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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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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: root · press · net · kid · roll · bear · court · bay

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. press — to push
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. court — of law
  5. root — the cause
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. net — after costs
  10. press — a publisher
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. kid — child
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. court — for sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. court — of a king
  21. press — newspapers
  22. root — of a word
  23. roll — a cake
  24. kid — to tease

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