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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. capital — money
  5. race — humankind
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. race — a contest
  9. root — of a plant
  10. capital — a city
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. root — the cause
  17. present — a gift
  18. root — of a word
  19. present — there
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. race — the arms race
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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