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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. scale — size or range
  3. capital — a city
  4. root — of a word
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. root — of a plant
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. sharp — clever
  14. scale — in music
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mate — to breed
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. capital — money
  24. sharp — with an edge

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