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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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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: game · deal · object · root · capital · pass · lie · kick

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. root — the cause
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lie — to recline
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. deal — to handle
  11. root — of a word
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. root — of a plant
  15. capital — money
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — to spend time

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