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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: ground · capital · last · mug · board · root · fall · rest

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mug — to rob
  3. last — finally
  4. fall — the season
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. root — of a plant
  9. board — to get on
  10. last — to go on
  11. ground — crushed
  12. capital — money
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a word
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rest — what's left
  18. board — a committee
  19. capital — a city
  20. mug — a face
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rest — a break
  23. ground — a position
  24. last — final

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