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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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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: net · key · kick · suit · lie · capital · root · foot

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. net — for catching
  4. lie — to recline
  5. foot — a measure
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — the most important part
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. suit — clothes
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. key — in music
  14. root — of a word
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — in cards
  17. key — for a lock
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — after costs
  21. root — the cause
  22. net — in sport
  23. capital — a city
  24. suit — to fit

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