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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. capital — a city
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lean — thin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bound — certain
  11. root — the cause
  12. drill — army training
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fine — all right
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pass — a permit
  20. capital — money
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lean — to bend

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