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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. can — to be able to
  4. file — a line of people
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. plane — a tool
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. capital — a city
  12. file — a document
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pit — a hole
  15. capital — money
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. can — a tin
  21. file — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. branch — a division

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