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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. prune — to trim
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. root — of a plant
  7. deal — to handle
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — boats
  13. capital — money
  14. press — a publisher
  15. prune — to trim
  16. root — of a word
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. press — to push
  23. capital — a city
  24. press — newspapers

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