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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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468
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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. dip — to sink
  6. game — a match
  7. fine — all right
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. plane — a tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fine — high quality
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. capital — money

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