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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · drill · capital · branch · root · bear · spell · foot

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. capital — money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. root — of a plant
  10. drill — army training
  11. spell — magic
  12. bear — the animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. root — the cause
  15. branch — a division
  16. drill — the tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. root — of a word
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. drill — a practice

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