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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. object — a thing
  3. game — wild animals
  4. staff — employees
  5. capital — a city
  6. object — an aim
  7. charge — electricity
  8. game — a match
  9. charge — a price
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. capital — money
  16. staff — a stick
  17. charge — in control
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. staff — employees
  20. root — the cause
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stem — to come from
  24. object — to protest

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