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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. land — ground
  3. fall — the season
  4. bass — the fish
  5. root — the cause
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. root — of a word
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. prune — to trim
  11. capital — a city
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. prune — to trim
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bass — low music
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. capital — money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hide — animal skin

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