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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. capital — a city
  3. root — of a plant
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. file — a tool
  10. pop — music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. root — the cause
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pop — to visit
  16. branch — a division
  17. file — a line of people
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. root — of a word
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pop — soda
  23. capital — money
  24. calf — a young 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