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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. present — a gift
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — goods
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. root — of a plant
  10. kick — in football
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. root — of a word
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — the cause
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. charge — in control
  18. lie — to recline
  19. roll — a list
  20. capital — a city
  21. roll — a cake
  22. capital — money
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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