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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — of the year
  3. root — of a plant
  4. capital — a city
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. root — the cause
  11. season — in sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — of a word
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. capital — money

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