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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. net — in sport
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. object — an aim
  10. net — after costs
  11. suit — in cards
  12. net — for catching
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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