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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. root — of a plant
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ball — a dance
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. capital — money
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — a city
  21. root — the cause
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ball — a great time

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