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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. capital — money
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bat — the animal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. root — the cause
  8. bore — to drill
  9. race — humankind
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. race — the arms race
  12. press — a publisher
  13. root — of a word
  14. bore — to tire
  15. press — to push
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. press — newspapers
  20. capital — a city
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. race — a contest

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