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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
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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: coach · safe · land · cue · root · capital · chair · row

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. root — of a word
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cue — a signal
  11. row — a line
  12. chair — a leader
  13. row — to paddle
  14. root — the cause
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — ground
  24. row — a quarrel

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