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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: field · bowl · suit · capital · pop · cabinet · bore · root

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bore — to tire
  5. field — farmland
  6. root — of a word
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. suit — to fit
  10. field — for sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pop — soda
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — a city
  17. pop — music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. suit — clothes
  22. field — a subject
  23. root — the cause
  24. capital — 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