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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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Word bank
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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. capital — a city
  4. rock — music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. net — for catching
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. net — after costs
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. root — the cause
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. net — in sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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