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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. root — of a word
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. root — of a plant
  6. club — a group
  7. row — to paddle
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mark — a trace
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — a city
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. row — a line
  16. club — for golf
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mark — a grade
  23. root — the cause
  24. row — a quarrel

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