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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. capital — a city
  3. board — to get on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. chest — of your body
  7. capital — money
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fine — all right
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chest — a box
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. root — the cause
  19. board — a committee
  20. root — of a word
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chest — of your body

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