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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: last · root · capital · arm · temple · present · scale · bay

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. present — a gift
  3. capital — money
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. capital — a city
  6. present — the time now
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. scale — in music
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. root — of a word
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. root — of a plant
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. scale — size or range
  24. last — finally

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