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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. fine — all right
  5. content — the amount
  6. capital — money
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. track — a path
  12. root — of a word
  13. branch — a division
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. root — the cause
  17. cap — a hat
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cap — a lid
  23. capital — a city
  24. fine — high quality

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