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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. root — of a plant
  3. last — finally
  4. root — the cause
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. capital — money
  7. last — final
  8. mark — a grade
  9. capital — a city
  10. last — to go on
  11. game — a match
  12. root — of a word
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mark — a trace

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