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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. root — of a word
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — a trace
  7. capital — money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. root — the cause
  12. stock — shares
  13. fine — all right
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — to breed
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fine — high quality
  21. capital — a city
  22. stock — goods
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. arm — a part of something

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