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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. can — a tin
  3. capital — a city
  4. can — to be able to
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — of a word
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — a match
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — all right
  13. game — wild animals
  14. can — a tin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rash — a series
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. root — the cause
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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