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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: deal · cap · root · capital · fan · field · board · sharp

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. field — farmland
  7. root — of a plant
  8. board — a committee
  9. field — for sport
  10. root — the cause
  11. cap — a lid
  12. capital — a city
  13. field — a subject
  14. board — to get on
  15. root — of a word
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — of ice
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. capital — money
  24. sharp — clever

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