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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: capital · root · hand · foot · game · branch · suit · march

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. suit — in cards
  3. capital — money
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. march — music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. foot — a measure
  9. suit — clothes
  10. root — of a word
  11. march — the month
  12. branch — a division
  13. suit — to fit
  14. root — of a plant
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. march — the month
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hand — in cards
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. capital — a city
  24. branch — of a tree

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