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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · nail · craft · root · capital · file · coach · leaves

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. root — of a plant
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. root — the cause
  7. capital — a city
  8. craft — boats
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a document
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. file — a tool
  14. capital — money
  15. root — of a word
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. craft — a skill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. board — a committee
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. board — a flat piece

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