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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. root — of a word
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cap — a hat
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. ball — a great time
  11. prune — to trim
  12. root — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. root — the cause
  15. capital — money
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — a lid
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. can — a tin

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