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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — of a plant
  4. capital — a city
  5. stock — shares
  6. rash — a series
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. capital — money
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mug — a face
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. root — the cause
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. root — of a word
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bulb — for light

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