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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: pop · ruler · net · root · ground · capital · calf · staff

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. capital — money
  3. ground — crushed
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — a stick
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. staff — employees
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ground — the earth
  21. root — the cause
  22. staff — employees
  23. ground — a position
  24. pop — music

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