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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. race — a contest
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — there
  9. bore — to tire
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. branch — a division
  13. present — the time now
  14. squash — the sport
  15. capital — money
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. present — a gift
  19. squash — to crush
  20. capital — a city
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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