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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: staff · wake · rest · arm · pass · ground · root · capital

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — a break
  5. wake — a trail
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — a permit
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ground — crushed
  14. root — of a plant
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. staff — a stick

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