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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. content — happy
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. root — of a word
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. game — a match
  12. capital — money
  13. root — of a plant
  14. tube — a container
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — wild animals
  17. content — the amount
  18. pit — a hole
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tube — the underground
  22. root — the cause
  23. saw — the tool
  24. leaves — to go away

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