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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. press — a publisher
  3. track — a song
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. track — to keep track
  6. press — to push
  7. root — the cause
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. capital — a city
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lie — to recline
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. root — of a word
  18. track — a path

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