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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. root — the cause
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. capital — a city
  12. cue — a signal
  13. capital — money
  14. pass — a permit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. root — of a word
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. tube — a container
  22. pound — a weight
  23. root — of a plant
  24. capital — a big letter

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