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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · press · court · mouse · staff · root · season · current

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. current — electric
  3. season — of the year
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. season — in sport
  7. current — of water
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. court — for sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. root — the cause
  19. staff — employees
  20. current — happening now
  21. staff — employees
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. press — to push

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