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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. root — the cause
  2. capital — a city
  3. lean — to bend
  4. root — of a word
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pit — in a race
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lean — thin
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. vault — a safe
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lean — to rest against
  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