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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. firm — steady
  8. perch — the fish
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. root — of a word
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mug — a face
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spring — of water
  18. tear — from crying
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. firm — decided
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mug — a cup
  24. firm — a company

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