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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.

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: court · capital · root · rock · fan · roll · rule · arm

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rule — a law
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — government
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — for sport
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. roll — a list
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. capital — a city
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rock — a stone
  24. roll — a cake

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