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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: capital · march · root · safe · straw · field · cue · toast

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — money
  12. march — the month
  13. cue — a hint
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. field — farmland
  19. cue — for pool
  20. toast — bread
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. root — the cause
  23. cue — a signal
  24. march — the month

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