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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: wound · key · root · capital · stick · club · march · rock

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rock — music
  5. club — for golf
  6. root — the cause
  7. march — the month
  8. wound — an injury
  9. capital — a city
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. capital — money
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. key — in music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. march — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rock — a stone
  22. key — the most important part
  23. march — the month
  24. root — of a word

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