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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pound — a weight
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. vault — a safe
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. capital — money
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. root — the cause
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. row — a line
  16. root — of a word
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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