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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 116 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spring — the season
  7. rush — hurry
  8. capital — money
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. chip — for betting
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spring — a coil
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. spring — of water
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spell — letters
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spell — magic
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spell — a short time
  22. capital — a city
  23. root — of a word
  24. chip — in a computer

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