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

Word bank: fork · capital · lie · present · bowl · leaves · root · snap

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. present — there
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. snap — to click
  11. lie — to recline
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. root — the cause
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. capital — a city
  18. present — a gift
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fork — in a road
  21. root — of a plant
  22. capital — money
  23. present — the time now
  24. fork — to eat with

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