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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: ruler · root · kick · cue · mark · vault · net · capital

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. root — of a word
  3. capital — money
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. kick — in football
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. net — in sport
  10. root — of a plant
  11. net — for catching
  12. root — the cause
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cue — a signal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cue — for pool
  22. net — after costs
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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