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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. capital — money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lean — to bend
  6. root — of a word
  7. lean — thin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — happening now
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — a city
  15. current — of water
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — electric
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. root — the cause
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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