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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 · rush · capital · bowl · content · rest · game · pit

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. content — the amount
  8. game — a match
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. capital — a city
  13. root — the cause
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rest — a break
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. content — happy
  22. rest — what's left
  23. root — of a word
  24. rush — to hurry

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