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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. capital — money
  7. court — of a king
  8. capital — a city
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. root — the cause
  12. court — of law
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. root — of a word
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wind — moving air
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. court — for sport
  22. toast — bread
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stand — to bear

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