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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. capital — a city
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. capital — money
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bore — to drill
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. scale — in music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — a division
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bore — to tire

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