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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cue — a signal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. capital — a city
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cue — for pool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. object — an aim
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. object — to protest
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. track — a song
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. track — a path
  18. mate — a friend
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cue — a hint
  21. capital — money
  22. root — the cause
  23. object — a thing
  24. mate — a partner

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