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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 124 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — the season
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. root — of a plant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — of water
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. march — the month
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — the month
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cap — a hat
  21. march — music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. root — of a word
  24. scale — in music

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