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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: root · bear · mug · capital · pass · fine · rule · mine

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mug — a face
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. capital — money
  12. root — of a plant
  13. capital — a city
  14. rule — government
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rule — a law
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. fine — all right
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fine — a penalty

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