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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: deal · bore · bear · ruler · root · capital · ground · cap

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ground — a position
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. root — of a word
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. root — the cause
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bore — to tire

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