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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. object — a thing
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. capital — money
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chest — a box
  8. root — of a word
  9. object — to protest
  10. bear — the animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cue — a signal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. capital — a city
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bear — 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