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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. capital — money
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. sharp — clever
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. root — the cause

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