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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: mark · fall · root · pitcher · coach · march · rest · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fall — to drop
  3. march — the month
  4. capital — money
  5. fall — the season
  6. capital — a city
  7. rest — a break
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a grade
  12. root — of a word
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. march — music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. root — the cause
  17. march — the month
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — a trace

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