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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. rest — a break
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — what's left
  5. degree — from a university
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. degree — temperature
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. branch — a division
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. can — a tin
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. degree — an amount
  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