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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 116 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: pass · bound · calf · game · root · spell · capital · track

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. game — a match
  5. bound — certain
  6. track — a song
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. root — of a plant
  12. capital — a city
  13. root — of a word
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. track — a path
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. track — to keep track
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bound — tied together
  24. capital — money

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