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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: calf · land · pitch · bound · root · capital · spell · leaves

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. land — to come down
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. capital — money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. capital — a city
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spell — magic
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. land — a country
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spell — a short time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. land — ground
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. spell — letters
  22. pitch — completely
  23. root — of a word
  24. bound — obliged

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