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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. root — the cause
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — of a plant
  7. capital — a city
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — of a word
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wound — an injury
  12. scale — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — a safe
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rush — hurry
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. capital — money
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rush — a thrill

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