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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. root — of a plant
  5. chair — a leader
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. craft — boats
  9. swing — in golf
  10. capital — a city
  11. staff — employees
  12. capital — money
  13. mark — a grade
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. staff — employees
  19. swing — music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. capital — a big letter

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