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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. root — the cause
  3. mug — to rob
  4. track — a path
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. season — in sport
  7. track — a song
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — to keep track
  11. root — of a word
  12. content — happy
  13. capital — money
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mug — a face
  18. capital — a city
  19. content — the amount
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — a cup
  24. season — of the year

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