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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. march — the month
  3. shower — rain
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. key — in music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. march — music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. suit — clothes
  16. root — of a word
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. shower — to wash
  23. march — the month
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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