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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. root — the cause
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cue — a hint
  9. root — of a word
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. season — in sport
  16. roll — a list
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. capital — a city
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. root — of a plant
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cue — for pool
  23. chest — a box
  24. season — of the year

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