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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pop — music
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. degree — temperature
  8. capital — money
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. suit — in cards
  13. degree — an amount
  14. root — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — a city
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pop — soda
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — to be able to

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