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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. craft — a skill
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. capital — a city
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cap — a hat
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — of a plant
  24. capital — money

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