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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: kick · stick · bark · rest · current · capital · key · root

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. root — the cause
  5. current — of water
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. kick — in football
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — happening now
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — to shout
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. current — electric
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rest — a break
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. root — of a word

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