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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. court — of law
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pass — a permit
  7. court — for sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pop — music
  12. plane — a tool
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. court — of a king
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pop — soda
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — a city
  24. kick — in football

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