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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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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. capital — a city
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mine — for digging
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. branch — a division
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitcher — a jug

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