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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mug — a cup
  3. swing — in golf
  4. kick — in football
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. spring — a coil
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mug — to rob
  13. branch — a division
  14. spring — the season
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. current — of water
  17. spring — of water
  18. swing — music
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. current — happening now
  21. capital — money
  22. stand — to bear
  23. current — electric
  24. mug — a face

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