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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: pit · mark · capital · charge · squash · branch

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pit — a hole
  3. capital — money
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. charge — a price
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mark — a trace
  14. capital — a city
  15. pit — in a race
  16. squash — the sport
  17. branch — a division
  18. mark — a grade

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