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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: root · kid · ball · key · bank · capital · mine · suit

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — for a lock
  4. root — of a word
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. root — the cause
  8. ball — a dance
  9. capital — money
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. kid — to tease
  19. root — of a plant
  20. kid — child
  21. ball — a great time
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bank — of a river

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