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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 116 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: lean · root · march · capital · fork · track · craft · squash

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. root — of a word
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. capital — a city
  7. march — the month
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. track — a path
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. track — to keep track
  12. march — music
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — a song
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. capital — money
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — to bend
  19. craft — boats
  20. fork — in a road
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. squash — the sport

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