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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: mark · racket · mine · coach · key · capital · root · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. root — the cause
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — the most important part
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mark — a grade
  13. key — in music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. root — of a word
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mine — for digging
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. capital — a city
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. racket — for tennis

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