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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.

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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: mark · saw · season · capital · lean · rock · pit · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. season — of the year
  4. lean — to bend
  5. season — in sport
  6. capital — a city
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. capital — money
  10. root — of a word
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rock — music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lean — thin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mark — a trace
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pit — in a race

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