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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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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. club — a group
  5. capital — a city
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — the cause
  8. track — a song
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a word
  11. bank — of a river
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — in music
  19. track — a path
  20. key — for a lock
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. root — of a plant

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