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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 120 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: capital · season · root · bear · tear · object · bound · mark

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bound — certain
  3. object — to protest
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mark — a grade
  7. root — of a plant
  8. season — in sport
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. capital — money
  17. root — of a word
  18. object — an aim
  19. capital — a city
  20. root — the cause
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. season — of the year

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