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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. net — after costs
  6. capital — money
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stem — to come from
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. capital — a city

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