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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stock — shares
  5. present — the time now
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. root — of a plant
  11. present — there
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. root — of a word
  14. present — a gift
  15. mate — to breed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. capital — a city
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stock — goods
  20. spring — a coil
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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