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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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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. root — of a word
  3. chip — for betting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — a city
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stock — shares
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. root — the cause
  22. stock — goods
  23. kick — in football
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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