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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. branch — a division
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cap — of ice
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. field — farmland
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. field — for sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. cap — a hat

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