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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: cue · current · bowl · capital · root · row · bear · key

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. key — the most important part
  5. current — of water
  6. capital — money
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cue — a signal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cue — for pool
  18. current — electric
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. capital — a city
  22. root — the cause
  23. key — in music
  24. bear — the animal

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