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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
468
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 · coach · arm · nail · capital · pitcher · mate

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. capital — a city
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mate — a friend
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a word
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. capital — money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bear — the animal

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