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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. root — of a plant
  3. capital — money
  4. drill — army training
  5. fine — high quality
  6. net — after costs
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. root — the cause
  9. fine — all right
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rest — what's left
  12. drill — the tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. net — for catching
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — a city
  18. drill — a practice
  19. root — of a word
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rest — a break
  24. rock — music

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