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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. capital — a city
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pound — a weight
  10. branch — a division
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. chair — a leader
  24. kid — child

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