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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. charge — a price
  9. branch — a division
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bank — of a river
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — money
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — to bear
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — in a road
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. charge — in control
  24. temple — a place of worship

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