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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. capital — money
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. track — to keep track
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. scale — in music
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. capital — a city
  14. root — the cause
  15. bat — the animal
  16. track — a song
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. scale — size or range
  19. root — of a word
  20. track — a path
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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