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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: root · scale · bowl · content · stick · leaves · bore · capital

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. root — the cause
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bore — to drill
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. scale — size or range
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. scale — in music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. capital — a city
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. content — happy
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. content — the amount
  19. root — of a word
  20. capital — money
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — of a plant
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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