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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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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: wave · present · root · kick · march · capital

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. capital — money
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. march — the month
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — a gift
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — in football
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea

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