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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 124 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ground — the earth
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. cue — a signal
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. face — part of the head
  10. board — to get on
  11. ground — a position
  12. board — a committee
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. face — to point toward
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cue — a hint
  18. root — of a word
  19. suit — in cards
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — crushed
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cue — for pool
  24. face — to confront

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