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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. roll — a list
  2. capital — a city
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. roll — a cake
  5. root — of a word
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. charge — electricity
  9. capital — money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. charge — in control
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. root — the cause
  20. net — in sport
  21. charge — a price
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — animal skin
  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