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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. deal — to handle
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — the season
  5. squash — the sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. capital — a city
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spring — a coil
  10. root — of a word
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. capital — money
  15. fine — high quality
  16. squash — to crush
  17. spring — of water
  18. ball — a dance
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fine — all right
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mug — a face
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mug — to rob

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