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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: tube · capital · court · root · stand · key · spell · race

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. key — the most important part
  3. court — of a king
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — in music
  7. root — the cause
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. race — a contest
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stand — to bear
  16. root — of a word
  17. court — of law
  18. capital — a city
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. court — for sport
  22. spell — letters
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spell — magic

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