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

Word bank: stem · capital · ruler · kick · scale · root

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. root — the cause
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. root — of a word
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — in music
  12. kick — in football
  13. capital — money
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. root — of a plant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ruler — for measuring

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