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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. capital — money
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. capital — a city
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a plant
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — a division
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — the cause
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. root — of a word

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