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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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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: capital · race · chest · face · ground · root · key · vault

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. root — of a plant
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. root — the cause
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — in music
  7. chest — of your body
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. capital — a city
  11. root — of a word
  12. ground — a position
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. race — the arms race
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. ground — the earth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. face — to confront
  21. key — the most important part
  22. ground — crushed
  23. capital — money
  24. race — humankind

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