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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. branch — a division
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ball — a dance
  5. firm — decided
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitch — completely
  9. capital — a city
  10. rock — music
  11. firm — a company
  12. perch — the fish
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. firm — steady
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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