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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · coach · capital · straw · present · key · squash · root

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. key — the most important part
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. root — of a plant
  11. capital — money
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. present — a gift
  14. squash — to crush
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. present — the time now
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — there
  20. key — in music
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. squash — the sport
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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