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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: roll · pitcher · squash · press · content · root · pop · tube

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. root — the cause
  3. roll — a list
  4. root — of a word
  5. pop — to visit
  6. roll — a cake
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tube — the underground
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — a publisher
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. tube — a container
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. press — newspapers
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pop — music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. press — to push
  22. pop — soda
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tube — in a tire

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