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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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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 · rest · wave · coach · key · root · stand · cap

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cap — a hat
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — a city
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — the cause
  15. capital — money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. root — of a word
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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