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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · court · cap · tube · root · rash · coach · can

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. root — of a word
  4. clip — for paper
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — for sport
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rash — hasty
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. can — a tin
  13. root — the cause
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. court — of a king
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. court — of law
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cap — a hat
  22. tube — a container
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cap — a lid

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