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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. root — the cause
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a city
  10. game — a match
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pop — music
  15. field — for sport
  16. pop — soda
  17. branch — a division
  18. root — of a word
  19. field — a subject
  20. pop — to visit
  21. game — wild animals
  22. field — farmland
  23. wound — an injury
  24. branch — of a tree

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