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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. can — a tin
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — for digging
  13. capital — a city
  14. swing — music
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fine — high quality
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. capital — money
  20. root — the cause
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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