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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: cue · capital · sharp · root · drill · trunk · suit · stand

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stand — to bear
  3. suit — clothes
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. suit — to fit
  9. root — of a word
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. drill — army training
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. drill — a practice
  18. root — of a plant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. root — the cause
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cue — for pool
  23. drill — the tool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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