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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pit — in a race
  3. root — of a plant
  4. branch — a division
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. object — a thing
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. root — the cause
  10. object — to protest
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — an aim
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wake — a trail
  20. capital — a city
  21. tube — a container
  22. pit — a hole
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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