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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. roll — a list
  6. root — of a word
  7. stem — to come from
  8. object — an aim
  9. root — of a plant
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. object — a thing
  17. drill — the tool
  18. root — the cause
  19. drill — a practice
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. object — to protest
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. roll — a cake
  24. drill — army training

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