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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. face — part of the head
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — in music
  6. field — a subject
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. capital — money
  17. scale — size or range
  18. board — to get on
  19. field — farmland
  20. face — to confront
  21. board — a committee
  22. staff — employees
  23. capital — a city
  24. field — for sport

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