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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. root — of a plant
  3. capital — money
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ground — the earth
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. root — of a word
  10. mate — a partner
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ground — crushed
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. root — the cause
  18. capital — a city
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. shower — rain
  23. mate — a friend
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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