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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
468
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: press · pitch · cabinet · bulb · squash · root · rock · row

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. root — the cause
  5. row — a line
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rock — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. root — of a plant
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. press — to push
  18. row — to paddle
  19. root — of a word
  20. squash — to crush
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — ministers

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