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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. capital — a city
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. object — a thing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. capital — money
  16. can — a tin
  17. fine — all right
  18. root — of a word
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fine — high quality
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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