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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rush — hurry
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. root — of a word
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mark — a trace
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mark — a grade
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — the amount
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. roll — a list
  22. content — happy
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. root — the cause

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