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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. root — of a word
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. capital — money
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. root — the cause
  8. capital — a city
  9. suit — to fit
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. field — farmland
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. suit — in cards
  15. field — a subject
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. suit — clothes
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. deal — to handle
  21. field — for sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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