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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 124 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mug — a face
  4. pitch — completely
  5. root — the cause
  6. current — happening now
  7. bear — the animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mug — a cup
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. spell — letters
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spell — magic
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spell — a short time
  24. capital — money

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