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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — a stone
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. root — of a word
  8. court — of law
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. capital — money
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rock — music
  16. current — of water
  17. capital — a city
  18. court — of a king
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — happening now
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. current — electric
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. court — for sport

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