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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. capital — a city
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ground — crushed
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mate — a friend
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ground — a position
  12. mate — to breed
  13. root — of a word
  14. mate — a partner
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. capital — money
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. suit — to fit
  19. root — the cause
  20. ground — the earth
  21. vault — a safe
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. root — of a plant

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