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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · toast · fine · root · capital · roll · sharp · cell

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. capital — money
  2. toast — bread
  3. fine — high quality
  4. roll — a cake
  5. root — the cause
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. root — of a plant
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. roll — a list
  15. root — of a word
  16. capital — a city
  17. sharp — clever
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fine — all right
  20. cell — in biology
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  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