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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 · pound · bear · tube · staff · rock · pitch · capital

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. root — the cause
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rock — music
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. staff — employees
  13. root — of a plant
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. root — of a word
  24. rock — a stone

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