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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: root · stand · capital · object · field · branch · present · charge

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stand — to bear
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. charge — a price
  5. branch — a division
  6. field — a subject
  7. charge — in control
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. root — the cause
  10. object — an aim
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. object — to protest
  13. field — farmland
  14. object — a thing
  15. root — of a plant
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. capital — money
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. charge — electricity
  21. capital — a city
  22. root — of a word
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. present — a gift

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