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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: band · stick · date · branch · safe · capital · cap · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. band — a music group
  3. capital — a city
  4. cap — a hat
  5. root — of a word
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. capital — money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — a lid
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. branch — a division
  15. cap — of ice
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. band — a ring
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. root — of a plant
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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