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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — a city
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rest — what's left
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mark — a grade
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. root — the cause
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rest — a break
  15. root — of a word
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. capital — money
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cabinet — ministers

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