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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: branch · capital · race · key · fan · swing · bank · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — a city
  4. bank — of a river
  5. race — the arms race
  6. swing — in golf
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. key — for a lock
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — in music
  14. swing — music
  15. board — a committee
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. race — humankind
  18. swing — to play on
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bank — for money
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — a division
  23. capital — money
  24. race — a contest

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