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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: capital · board · root · perch · field · pit · racket · drill

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. capital — a city
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. perch — the fish
  6. capital — money
  7. root — of a plant
  8. board — to get on
  9. root — the cause
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pit — in a race
  13. field — for sport
  14. pit — a hole
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — of a word
  21. field — a subject
  22. board — a committee
  23. field — farmland
  24. racket — for tennis

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