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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · spring · degree · lash · deal · capital · calf · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spring — of water
  14. root — the cause
  15. deal — to handle
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. degree — an amount
  19. root — of a plant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. degree — from a university
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. deal — a big deal

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