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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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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: race · kick · root · capital · band · ruler · swing · leaves

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. capital — a city
  3. race — humankind
  4. swing — music
  5. root — the cause
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. capital — money
  8. swing — in golf
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. race — the arms race
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. root — of a word
  14. band — a music group
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. root — of a plant
  21. race — a contest
  22. band — a ring
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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