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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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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: stand · root · tube · capital · fine · rule · wave · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. root — of a plant
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. capital — a city
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. tube — a container
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rule — a law
  16. capital — money
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fine — all right
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. root — the cause
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. root — of a word

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