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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — the cause
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. capital — a city
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — letters
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spell — magic
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. chip — for betting
  23. root — of a word
  24. kick — in football

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