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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.

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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: chip · bat · rush · capital · fine · root · season · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bat — the animal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. root — the cause
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. capital — money
  20. rush — hurry
  21. capital — a city
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. root — of a word
  24. season — in sport

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