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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: board · capital · rest · game · temple · lie · root · chip

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. board — to get on
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lie — to recline
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. root — the cause
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — to eat
  12. game — a match
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. board — a committee
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chip — for betting
  24. root — of a plant

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