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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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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: land · capital · craft · chair · mate · branch · suit · rush

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. branch — a division
  3. land — a country
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. land — to come down
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. capital — a city
  9. suit — clothes
  10. land — ground
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. suit — to fit
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mate — a friend
  18. craft — a skill
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mate — a partner
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rush — hurry

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