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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stand — to bear
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. capital — a city
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. craft — a skill
  13. branch — a division
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mug — to rob
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chest — a box
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chest — of your body
  23. craft — boats
  24. prune — to trim

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