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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — the season
  4. roll — a cake
  5. march — the month
  6. roll — a list
  7. club — for dancing
  8. capital — a city
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — the cause
  12. march — music
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. club — a group
  15. spring — a coil
  16. club — for golf
  17. root — of a word
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. spring — of water
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — money
  24. march — the month

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