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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: lie · capital · clip · fine · coach · root · bowl · ground

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. root — of a word
  3. clip — a video
  4. ground — the earth
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — the cause
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. capital — money
  12. clip — to cut
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ground — a position
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. capital — a city
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fine — all right
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. clip — for paper
  24. root — of a plant

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