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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · coach · leaves · capital · track · root

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — of a word
  6. track — a path
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. root — the cause
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. capital — a city
  11. track — a song
  12. root — of a plant
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. track — to keep track
  18. capital — money

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