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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. game — a match
  3. root — of a plant
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. capital — money
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. capital — a city
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. shower — rain
  12. game — wild animals
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. root — of a word
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rush — hurry
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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