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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. capital — a city
  3. key — for a lock
  4. track — a song
  5. branch — a division
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — in music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. track — a path
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rest — a break

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