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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: press · key · capital · cue · bound · root · bank · pitcher

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. press — to push
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — for pool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. capital — money
  8. cue — a hint
  9. key — in music
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. capital — a city
  16. press — a publisher
  17. root — the cause
  18. key — for a lock
  19. root — of a word
  20. press — newspapers
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bound — obliged
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bank — for money

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