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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 116 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: capital · press · shower · track · leaves · scale · root · wave

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. scale — in music
  3. root — of a word
  4. shower — rain
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. track — a path
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. press — a publisher
  9. root — the cause
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. shower — to wash
  13. capital — a city
  14. scale — size or range
  15. track — a song
  16. root — of a plant
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. track — to keep track
  23. press — to push
  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