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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. capital — money
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. cue — a hint
  7. root — of a word
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. capital — a city
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rash — a series
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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