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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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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: dip · capital · root · fall · pit · mouse · press · mate

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — a city
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. mate — a partner
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pit — a hole
  12. root — the cause
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pit — in a race
  18. capital — money
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. press — to push
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mate — a friend

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