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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. land — to come down
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — all right
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. capital — money
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. root — of a word
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fine — high quality
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — the cause
  24. coach — a trainer

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