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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. current — happening now
  5. mate — a friend
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — a thing
  11. root — of a word
  12. mate — to breed
  13. can — a tin
  14. mate — a partner
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — electric
  17. root — of a plant
  18. deal — to handle
  19. capital — money
  20. swing — music
  21. object — to protest
  22. can — to be able to
  23. object — an aim
  24. current — of water

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