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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: root · band · tube · racket · wave · bay · capital · plane

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. capital — a city
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — the cause
  6. band — a music group
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. capital — money
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. root — of a word
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tube — a container
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. root — of a plant
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. band — a ring
  24. plane — an aircraft

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