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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 120 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: field · degree · mate · lean · cue · root · press · foot

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. root — of a word
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lean — thin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. field — a subject
  11. press — to push
  12. field — farmland
  13. degree — from a university
  14. root — the cause
  15. field — for sport
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lean — to bend
  18. degree — an amount
  19. press — a publisher
  20. foot — a measure
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lean — to rest against

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