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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stock — shares
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — a price
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. root — of a plant
  9. capital — money
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pit — a hole
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — in control
  18. stock — goods
  19. cap — a lid
  20. capital — a city
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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