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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: capital · mug · land · root · bat · pass · ruler · vault

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. 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. mug — a face
  2. capital — a city
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. land — ground
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mug — a cup
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mug — to rob
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. 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