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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: firm · capital · bear · root · board · chip · leaves · file

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. file — a document
  3. capital — a city
  4. chip — to eat
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. file — a tool
  8. root — of a word
  9. board — to get on
  10. firm — a company
  11. board — a committee
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. firm — steady
  15. capital — money
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — for betting
  18. firm — decided
  19. root — of a plant
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. root — the cause

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