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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · staff · wave · key · racket · root · board · capital

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. board — a committee
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. key — in music
  8. staff — employees
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. capital — money
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. root — of a word
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mine — for digging
  19. root — the cause
  20. board — to get on
  21. root — of a plant
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. racket — a loud noise

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