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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · bear · coach · capital · stand · root · ground · date

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — money
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a word
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ground — crushed
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — a position
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. date — the fruit
  20. root — the cause
  21. capital — a city
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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