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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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468
Word bank
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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. root — the cause
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. net — after costs
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fall — the season
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — of a word
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fork — in a road
  20. net — in sport
  21. scale — in music
  22. net — for catching
  23. fall — to drop
  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