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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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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. capital — a city
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to confront
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bass — low music
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. root — of a plant
  16. face — to point toward
  17. capital — money
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. foot — a measure
  21. face — part of the head
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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