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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fine — high quality
  3. root — of a plant
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. craft — boats
  11. capital — money
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. saw — the tool
  16. capital — a city
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mark — a grade
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fine — all right
  23. saw — the tool
  24. craft — a skill

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