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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: branch · cabinet · stick · safe · tear · pitch · capital · ground

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tear — from crying
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. tear — to rip
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tear — from crying
  16. capital — a city
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. capital — money
  21. branch — a division
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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