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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
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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: mouse · face · root · cell · can · capital · fine · present

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. capital — a city
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. can — to be able to
  10. root — of a word
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. root — the cause
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. root — of a plant
  17. capital — money
  18. present — the time now
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fine — all right
  21. cell — a phone
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. fine — high quality

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