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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · safe · plane · capital · branch · tear

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. capital — a city
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. branch — a division
  6. tear — from crying
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. tear — to rip
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tear — from crying
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — of a bank

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