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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · toast · capital · stand · content · march · jam · branch

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. capital — a city
  11. toast — bread
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. content — the amount
  17. net — for catching
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stand — to bear
  22. capital — money
  23. net — after costs
  24. branch — a division

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