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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. root — the cause
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. key — for a lock
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. capital — a city
  9. key — in music
  10. rest — a break
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rest — what's left
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mine — for digging
  15. root — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. press — to push
  24. capital — money

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