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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chip — for betting
  3. root — of a plant
  4. present — there
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pass — a permit
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. capital — a city
  11. key — for a lock
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. key — in music
  16. capital — money
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. present — the time now
  21. root — the cause
  22. toast — bread
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. present — a gift

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