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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — in cards
  5. root — the cause
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spell — a short time
  9. capital — money
  10. root — of a word
  11. spell — magic
  12. club — for golf
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hand — help
  21. capital — a city
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. spell — letters

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