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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.

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: ground · kick · ball · root · club · stem · suit · press

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. root — the cause
  3. ball — a dance
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. club — a group
  8. ground — crushed
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. root — of a plant
  11. club — for golf
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. suit — clothes
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. suit — in cards
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. press — a publisher
  24. root — of a word

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