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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. root — of a plant
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. root — the cause
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bat — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. capital — a city
  16. can — a tin
  17. track — to keep track
  18. can — to be able to
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — of a word
  21. rock — music
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. spell — letters

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