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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ball — a dance
  6. charge — a price
  7. ball — a great time
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. charge — in control
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cap — of ice
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. capital — money
  19. mug — a face
  20. cap — a lid
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mug — a cup

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