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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. swing — music
  3. capital — money
  4. club — for dancing
  5. capital — a city
  6. root — of a plant
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. root — of a word
  9. land — to come down
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. swing — to play on
  12. land — a country
  13. club — for golf
  14. swing — in golf
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. land — ground
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. club — a group
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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