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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 120 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: capital · deal · lash · mine · root · ground · cap · rock

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. capital — money
  3. root — the cause
  4. rock — music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. capital — a city
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cap — of ice
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cap — a lid
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rock — a stone
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — of a word
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lash — to lash out

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