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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 · land · arm · cabinet · lean · racket · deal · capital

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. land — ground
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. capital — money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lean — thin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — to bend
  14. land — a country
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. root — of a plant
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. capital — a city
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. land — to come down

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