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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 120 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: rush · capital · coach · board · tear · cue · root · band

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. board — to get on
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a city
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. root — of a word
  12. band — a music group
  13. root — the cause
  14. cue — a signal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cue — for pool
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cue — a hint
  21. band — a ring
  22. rush — hurry
  23. board — a committee
  24. capital — money

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