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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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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: capital · plane · bat · rush · foot · root · straw · ruler

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — the animal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. capital — a city
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. root — the cause
  9. plane — a tool
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. root — of a word
  13. capital — money
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. root — of a plant
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rush — hurry

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