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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. capital — a city
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — the cause
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. capital — money
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. vault — a safe
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. net — for catching
  18. root — of a word
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wake — a trail
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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