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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. capital — a city
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. root — the cause
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — of the year
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spring — the season
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. squash — the sport
  15. capital — money
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. season — in sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — of water
  21. root — of a word
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spring — a coil
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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