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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. scale — size or range
  4. capital — a city
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. scale — in music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bass — low music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. branch — a division
  12. bass — the fish
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. can — a tin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bore — to drill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. capital — money
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. can — a tin

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