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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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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: capital · bank · clip · stand · root · race · coach · foot

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. root — of a plant
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stand — to bear
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bank — for money
  11. root — of a word
  12. race — humankind
  13. clip — a video
  14. capital — a city
  15. bank — of a river
  16. clip — for paper
  17. race — a contest
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. race — the arms race
  22. clip — to cut
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. root — the cause

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