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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. root — of a word
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rush — hurry
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pass — a permit
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. root — the cause
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cue — for pool
  24. coach — a trainer

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