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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 120 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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pass — a permit
  5. capital — a city
  6. spring — of water
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pit — in a race
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. firm — decided
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. root — the cause
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. present — there
  15. root — of a word
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. firm — a company
  19. present — the time now
  20. capital — money
  21. present — a gift
  22. firm — steady
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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