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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. capital — a city
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spring — of water
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rule — government
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. spring — the season
  11. rock — music
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — the cause
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rule — a law
  22. capital — money
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spring — a coil

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