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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.

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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. court — for sport
  3. row — to paddle
  4. can — a tin
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. root — of a word
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. court — of a king
  9. can — to be able to
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. club — a group
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. club — for golf
  18. court — of law
  19. can — a tin
  20. dip — to sink
  21. root — the cause
  22. row — a line
  23. club — for dancing
  24. sharp — clever

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