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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. root — the cause
  3. bass — the fish
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mark — a grade
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mark — a trace
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. capital — money
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bank — for money
  22. bass — low music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. deal — a big deal

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