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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. capital — money
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — of a plant
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. plane — a tool
  11. root — of a word
  12. bank — of a river
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pit — a hole
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. root — the cause
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — clever
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stem — to come from

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