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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: object · trunk · ground · game · root · fan · press · sharp

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ground — crushed
  7. press — to push
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. press — newspapers
  10. game — a match
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ground — a position
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. press — a publisher
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ground — the earth
  23. sharp — clever
  24. root — the cause

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