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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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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: pound · object · capital · tube · can · root · mine · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. root — the cause
  5. object — an aim
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fall — to drop
  9. capital — money
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tube — a container
  12. can — a tin
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. object — to protest
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. object — a thing
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — a tin
  21. root — of a word
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. can — to be able to

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