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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bore — to drill
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rush — hurry
  6. suit — in cards
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — temperature
  13. capital — a city
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bore — to tire
  16. capital — money
  17. cap — of ice
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — to fit
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fan — to cool the air

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