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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: march · object · chip · capital · sharp · wave · pass · root

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. root — the cause
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. march — the month
  5. root — of a word
  6. object — an aim
  7. march — the month
  8. object — a thing
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pass — a permit
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. capital — a city
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — clever
  19. object — to protest
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. march — music
  24. root — of a plant

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