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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. root — the cause
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. root — of a word
  5. capital — money
  6. present — there
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — the tool
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. drill — a practice
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. drill — army training
  20. dip — to sink
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — a gift
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. present — the time now

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