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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tube — a container
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. root — of a plant
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ground — the earth
  10. root — the cause
  11. rock — music
  12. root — of a word
  13. ground — crushed
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chair — a leader
  17. ground — a position
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lie — to recline
  20. capital — money
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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