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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. key — in music
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ball — a dance
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ball — a great time
  8. capital — a city
  9. cap — of ice
  10. present — a gift
  11. key — for a lock
  12. capital — money
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. cap — a lid
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. present — there
  20. key — the most important part
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a hat
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — the time now

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