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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. capital — money
  3. scale — size or range
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bass — the fish
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pound — a weight
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. scale — in music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. root — of a word
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. root — the cause
  19. capital — a city
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bore — to tire

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