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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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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: root · bear · bank · rest · mate · capital

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. capital — a city
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. root — of a word
  18. bank — for 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