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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: bulb · bore · capital · field · root · rash · coach · pass

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pass — a permit
  3. capital — a city
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — the cause
  6. bore — to tire
  7. field — for sport
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rash — a series
  10. root — of a plant
  11. field — a subject
  12. capital — money
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. field — farmland
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — for light

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